Newsletter - Jews for Jesus

Bits from the Branches

Wed, 01 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0700

Sydney

Rahel Landrum reports, "A Jewish person arrives at a Shavuot party and sees his rabbi sitting down and biting into a big slice of cheesecake. 'Rabbi, he asks, why do we eat cheesecake on Shavuot?' 'Do you need a reason to eat cheesecake?' the rabbi replies.

"Indeed some things don't require a reason, but other things we do need to investigate. I don't mind when Jewish people I witness to also go to a rabbi to inquire about Jesus. Jesus encouraged people to ask questions.

"Paul (not his real name) doesn't want to meet in person yet, but wants to talk on the phone from time to time. Once he called me right after a conversation with a rabbi. He'd told the rabbi that he is interested in Jesus, but as a Jewish person, he feels he should not believe. The rabbi became angry that Paul was even considering Jesus. Paul told him: 'Okay, give me reasons why I shouldn't believe in Jesus; I want to be convinced.' He felt the rabbi didn't give him any substantial reasons as to why he should not believe. I answered Paul's questions as best as I could. I told him how Jesus fulfilled the sacrificial system set by God and was the center of Judaism when the Temple stood in Jerusalem before A.D. 70. Paul said it makes sense, but he is still not willing to take the leap of trusting Jesus. Please pray for his salvation."

Phoenix

Bruce Rapp reports: "Logan is a Jewish believer I have been meeting with and discipling for almost three years. He is incarcerated for a life term at Arizona State Prison, where I baptized him about two years ago (that was awesome!). Logan now leads a Messianic Shabbat service of ten to fifteen men at the prison complex. I go in and lead them and two other groups once a month. Not long ago, I was able to get clearance for Blue Mosaic, our evangelistic music team, to come into the prison and share their ministry at all three Shabbat group services. Logan wrote after the concert:

Dear Bruce,
Wow! What a beautiful gift you brought us this past Shabbat. Blue Mosaic was I-N-C-R-E-D-I-B-L-E! Everybody is still talking about it. God is so amazing. God willing, when your schedule permits, we can arrange for a day of celebration involving baptisms and music. Let me know your thoughts on the idea, and if I can do anything to help, let me know.

Anyway, I'll keep this short. I wanted to say thank you again for everything. You have given me so much joy in the past years. I thank our God all the time for bringing you to my life. God bless the Rapps and Jews for Jesus.
Because of Yeshua,
Logan"

London

Barry Barnett shares: "Moishe is a 94-year-old Jewish man that Ziggy and I have been visiting for a year or two. Moishe recently complained of lack of sleep and that his eyes were tearing. I was prompted to share Revelation 21 with him. I explained God's bright future for all believers in the New Jerusalem. No more pain or tears! Moishe was touched. Then I explained about heaven and hell, and invited Moishe to pray a prayer with me to receive Jesus into his life. We prayed the prayer of repentance together, and Moishe said he was expectant to see how Jesus would respond. I encouraged Moishe to keep listening to his audio Bible, talking to Jesus and asking Him questions. I thank God for allowing Ziggy, me and many prayer warriors to help Moishe come into the kingdom of God."

Kata Tar reports: "The sortie at Liverpool Station was almost over. It was rush hour, and people were not stopping to speak to us, although they were taking our gospel tracts. At the last moment a policeman, David, came to me with a big smile on his face. He eagerly searched through his pockets, then presented the leaflet he had just received from us. He told me that he was Jewish and interested in Jesus. We had a good conversation and I invited David to Havurah, our monthly Sabbath meeting. When he comes he will be able to meet up with one of our missionaries and chat more."

[ Comments ]

Added: Wed, 01 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0700
Other Articles

Jews for Jesus in Washington, D.C.

Wed, 01 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0700

The beginning of our work in Washington, D.C. can be traced back in 1978, when Efraim and Jeannie Goldstein were finishing up their theological training in the area. It wasn't until 1989 that we established an official branch, under Bob Mendelsohn's leadership, and we've had a presence there ever since.

The D.C. area is home to 215,000 Jewish people, with another 105,000 in the nearby Baltimore area. Except for one area, D.C.'s Jewish community is largely secular, with many well-educated and affluent members -- lawyers and consultants who work with the government and military. On the other hand, Baltimore has been described as the most Orthodox Jewish community in America on a per capita basis. The University of Maryland has 6,000 Jewish students, and George Washington University has another 4,200. These and other area colleges are an important part of our regular outreach. On Thursday nights we host a Bible study; it's a great place to bring a Jewish friend to learn about Jesus in an informal and non-threatening atmosphere.

Meet our Missionaries

Branch leader Stephen Katz was born in Illinois, raised in a Conservative synagogue and became a believer during his college years at the University of Illinois -- after writing a paper for a Jewish professor on "Why the Jews at the time of Jesus didn't believe He was the Messiah." He has served with Jews for Jesus for 22 years. In addition to being branch leader for D.C., Stephen oversees our work in Israel. He also enjoys reading and speaking Hebrew, playing guitar, and spending time with his wife Laura. They have four children, the youngest of whom is in college.

Lynn McCoy was raised in an Orthodox Jewish home in Hartford, Connecticut. In 1983, while attending the University of Hartford, she and other Jewish students went to heckle a Jews for Jesus missionary who was scheduled to share his testimony on campus. After listening to what he had to say, she began to consider that the gospel might actually be true. Within a month she had come to faith in Jesus. She has been serving with Jews for Jesus since 1987. Lynn loves to cook, spend time with her husband Wayman, and cuddle with their two cats, Lady and Winston.

Larry Dubin says "Home is wherever my head rests." He describes himself as having been born in Arizona, reared in Colorado and matured in the United States Navy. He came to faith through the witness of a godly naval officer. After graduating from Dallas Theological Seminary, Larry started to work with Jews for Jesus in 1999. Larry enjoys the "sport" of politics.

Debby Dubin was raised in a secular Jewish home in Merrick, New York, where she attended synagogue and Hebrew school regularly. In the summer of 1996 she received a broadside tract from one of our New York City summer witnessing campaigners and began attending the New York Jews for Jesus Bible study. It wasn't long before she received Jesus as the Jewish Messiah. Deb joined the Jews for Jesus staff in 1999. If she weren't in ministry, Deb would probably be in horticulture. She doesn't have a dining room ... she has a greenhouse!

Bits from the Branch

"You Never Know Who's Listening"

by Debby Dubin

Missionary trainees Kata and Simon were taking the bus back to New York after visiting the D.C. branch. Kata began to share her faith with the Muslim woman seated next to her -- with no idea that a Jewish woman sitting nearby was also listening. When Michelle returned to D.C., she contacted us via our website and I have been visiting with her for several months.

Michelle was raised in New York, the granddaughter of Holocaust survivors. She has recently acquired her own copy of the Bible. She brings a notebook to all our visits and always jots down my answers to her questions, as well as the references to the passages we've discussed. When I asked her to read Isaiah 53, she couldn't believe that it "sounds like just what happened to Jesus."

Michelle's son is a believer in Jesus and has been speaking to her about eternity. He shared with her how he wants her to know Jesus so that they will be able to spend eternity together.

Like many of our people, Michelle is now wrestling with the question, "If I believe in Y'shua, what will the rest of my family think?"

As Michelle is counting the cost of following God, I've asked her to consider what Jesus has done for us. She understands that He was our atonement for sin, but knows that if she acknowledges Him she can never go back. Will you pray that Michelle will receive Jesus into her heart?

"The Fool Hath Said..."

by Stephen Katz

A Jewish woman prayed with one of our missionaries to receive Christ, and her mother did so as well a year or two later. The daughter called to ask me to meet with her father, Harry. She said he was a difficult man, and she thought I was the right person to try to share the gospel with him. I'm not sure why she thought so, but in the two years since I've been meeting with Harry I haven't seen his heart soften or his mind open.

Harry let me know right away that he thought my faith -- actually any faith -- was nonsense and he frequently sprinkled in four-letter words to make his points stronger. Though he could see that his daughter's faith had been good for her, he didn't hesitate to ridicule the idea that God exists. Harry had seen so much suffering during World War II, and afterward had been turned off by the hypocrisy he saw in a local synagogue. He was also very convinced by the theory of evolution and couldn't see any place for the idea of God.

Try as I could, it seemed that my visits with Harry never really progressed. We'd talk, I'd open my Bible and challenge his way of thinking, but he wouldn't budge. In some ways, he was a nice guy with a lifetime of interesting stories to tell. But spiritually he was a bottomless pit of stubbornness and bitterness.

The last time I saw Harry he had a new address. He'd moved into a nursing home because his health was in serious decline. He had been there for about a week and was very unhappy. He had no one to talk to and was grateful I came by. What he told me was very sad. "I want to die. I'm too much of a coward to commit suicide, but I go to bed every night hoping I won't wake up. The doctors know what's wrong with me, but they can't fix it, so I'm stuck here. My money will run out in two or three years and then I'm broke. I'd rather die now so at least my daughters will get my money."

What would you have said if you were there with Harry? That God gives us a future and a hope? That with God there is the real hope of healing and eternal life? That God loves him? Just as one popular worship song acknowledges, "Everyone needs compassion, the kindness of a Savior."

I tried to encourage him, but I didn't want to scrap the plan I had settled upon through prayer prior to the visit. So I found the right moment and read from Psalm 14:1 "The fool has said in his heart, 'There is no God.'"

Did these words make any dent in Harry's armor? Not that I could see. We talked about the passage briefly, but he was caught up in a lifetime of sorrow and pride that threatens to consume him.

I will continue to see Harry, but there is no indication that he will call upon Jesus' name. Visiting people like Harry is part of our calling, but it's hard to see him so close to death and as lost as ever. I know that our God is bigger than any obstacle. Please pray for Harry to humble himself and call upon the Lord.

"A time for every purpose under heaven"

by Larry Dubin

The words of King Solomon describe the cycle of life; there is a beginning and there is an end and for some, the end is an occasion to search for God.

Sam has lived in a religious Jewish neighborhood his entire life. He acknowledges that he does not follow the Torah completely, but he believes in every word of the Law. Four years ago, Sam saw a Jews for Jesus booth at a state fair and gave us his contact information. He did so because he wanted to talk to a Jewish person who believes in Y'shua (Jesus) and create doubts about Him being the Holy One of Israel. For four years Sam debated well, seeing himself as a defender of Judaism. Conversations with him were continuous.

Then one day, Sam got a headache that was no ordinary headache. Within 48 hours, a cancerous tumor the size of a softball was removed from his head.

Sam is no longer trying to be the great defender of Judaism; now he is hoping the Scripture will speak to him. He is more earnest in his desire to know if the Torah and the Prophets provide any information about the Jewish Messiah. Please join me in praying for his salvation in the time that yet remains for him.

"Seizing an Opportunity"

by Lynn McCoy

Sometimes an opportunity to witness comes as a chance encounter with a stranger at the grocery store or the gas station. Sometimes it means praying that God will provide you with opportunities to share the good news with someone you know and love, or even an acquaintance you keep running into.

When we ask God to provide that perfect moment to share our hope in Him, we can do nothing less than seize that opportunity when it comes. I was recently reminded of that at my Weight Watchers meeting. I've made several friends there, but few there know that I am a missionary with Jews for Jesus. They know about my struggles, they know my sense of humor and they know my successes and failures when it comes to food.

I've prayed for months for an opportunity to share the gospel with Estelle. We've talked about how to make the perfect potato pancake as well as other Jewish delicacies. A few weeks ago, she was mentioning a recipe as we both headed for the Starbuck's next door. She asked if I would have coffee with her, and she would take my e-mail address to send me her recipe.

This was the opportunity I'd been waiting for! It would have been easy to miss the opportunity if I'd given her my private e-mail address, but as we walked, I explained that I have a Jews for Jesus e-mail address, and I did not want it come as a surprise. Of course, that in itself surprised her, and I just know she was thinking, "But she's so normal!"

From the moment we sat down, Estelle did not stop asking about my faith, and how I came to believe in Jesus. It was amazing! I'll never forget something that Moishe Rosen, our founder, taught in his book, How to Witness. He talked about moving a conversation from the "secular" to the "sacred." God turned a conversation about recipes into the realm of the gospel.

I thought about my struggle with weight all my life. But even this, God can use for His glory. Jesus never wasted an opportunity to proclaim His message. I pray that I never miss an opportunity either. May there be many more such opportunities to share my faith with Jewish women in that group, and may Estelle come to know the peace I have in my Messiah.

Prayer Pulse Points

Pray for the two-week D.C. outreach that will take place in July, particularly our evangelism on July 4th

Pray for Stephen, as he takes a three-month sabbatical to marry off three of his children within six weeks! Pray that God refreshes and renews him for his next decades of ministry

Pray for Larry as he takes over leadership of our branch over the summer

Pray for salvation for those we are ministering to, and that God will bring more and more Jewish seekers who are willing to meet with us to study the Bible

[ Comments ]

Added: Wed, 01 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0700
Other Articles

Moishe's Musings on Community

Wed, 01 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0700

Editor's note: Thanks to those of you who have written in asking that we continue to publish Moishe's Musings. We are celebrating Shavuot, (Pentecost) this month, and one of the themes of Pentecost is community. The following are extracts on community from some of Moishe's leadership lessons.

Community involves commitment. It touches every aspect of one's life: where you live, how you live, whom you accept as your circle of friends. When you belong to a community, you don't just say, "I'm part of the group," but you work to make yourself part of the group by where you move, by those with whom you associate, by accepting the group standards. And sometimes, these might not be your particular standards.

A commitment to God should mean a commitment to other godly people, to bear one another's burdens, to rejoice with one another, to foster one another's growth, to be submitted to one another, to have the counsel of one another. The role of the professional minister is far less important than the role of the natural elders, the lay people who put themselves out for the congregation.

Give a lot to a few; that's the way that you can give more. Learn to make commitments to people and to get commitments from those who will keep their commitments. Establish informally committed relationships.

We need to require things of others. A true, godly community must maintain expectations. If we do not have expectations of one another, then we will not understand the boundaries of our relationships. We depend upon one another and therefore we expect from one another. There can be no community without accountability and expectations.

Loving the Lord requires us to love others and include them within our faith community. Perhaps this is one of the reasons that churches do not grow. They are too picky about whom they might include and too impatient with the God who can change the unlovely into something beautiful by His power and grace. Let's face it -- some of you were not so lovable when I first met you. What if I decided not to include you in what I saw God doing through our little group?

Brothers and sisters, if we are to grow as God wants us to grow then we must open up in faith to others, even if they might seem unlovable at the present time. To deny them a place in our community is to limit God who promises to transform each person who accepts Y'shua. We must be a people who readily believe 2 Corinthians 5:17 -- for the Lord is able to make new people out of all those who receive Him.

We are not a community of the perfected, but a community of the redeemed. One day we will be perfected, but until that day we will be far less than what He and we want. Yet, as a community on the move for the Messiah, we can make a difference -- if we stand together.

[ Comments ]

Author: Moishe Rosen
Added: Wed, 01 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0700
Other Articles

Promises Fulfilled

Wed, 04 May 2011 00:00:00 -0700

I fulfilled a promise to my father after his memorial service last June, by telling a fuller version of the story in this month's "sneak preview" to a few hundred people who had gathered together afterward for a meal. But as Dad drew closer to his homegoing, I think he came to accept the fact that we would miss him terribly, and that pain and sorrow would be unavoidable. After all, Jesus said, "blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted."

But Moishe being Moishe, he still wanted to focus us on the hope of heaven. And so, in his will, he set aside funds for a dinner party to take place for his yahrzeit [literally "year's time" in Yiddish, it marks the year anniversary of one's death.] He stipulated that we should have good food, music, and make it a party that he would have liked to attend, centered on heaven as the theme.

Dave Garrett, a friend and staff member to whom Dad had entrusted the orchestration of his funeral and memorial service, promised Moishe he would see to these arrangements for his yahrzeit. He has been more than faithful in fulfilling that promise. Compared to last year's memorial dinner, it will be a smaller, but still significant group of friends and family that will gather later this month.

I know that many of you, our extended friends and family, will be with us in spirit. Please pray for us during this tender time, that we might truly honor the Lord as well as Moishe's memory by celebrating the fact that in Y'shua, Jesus, we do not sorrow as those without hope (1 Thessalonians 4:14-18).

Many friends have valiantly fulfilled promises to honor the Lord through Moishe's passing, including David Brickner, our executive director who has shown great care and concern for our family. I should also mention Susan Perlman who, as many of you know, was one of the founding Jews for Jesus back in the '70s. She knew that Dad had always wanted his death to be an opportunity to preach the gospel -- and she spearheaded the effort to make sure that it was just that. Among other things, Susan wrote a press release and saw to it that it was widely distributed immediately after Moishe's homegoing.

More than a dozen religious and secular publications/news agencies found his passing newsworthy, including the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, New York Daily News, the Wall Street Journal, The London Times, CNN, World Magazine, Charisma Magazine, The Jewish Chronicle online, and two Israeli publications, Haaretz.com and Arutz Sheva.

You can see a sampling of excerpts from the media here. Also, as many of you know the memorial service last May was streamed live on the Internet. Many of our staff reported that family members who do not yet know Jesus watched the service (which clearly presented the gospel) and were touched. Dad definitely got his wish to preach the gospel even in his death. In particular, many of the obituaries quoted statements Moishe had made in an article to be posted on our website following his death.

Finally, on behalf of our family, I want to take this opportunity to thank those of you who sent us such beautiful cards and notes of encouragement. We are blessed beyond measure to have your friendship.

Warmly in Y'shua,
Ruth Rosen

[ Comments ]

Author: Ruth Rosen
Added: Wed, 04 May 2011 00:00:00 -0700
Other Articles

Remembering Moishe Rosen

Wed, 04 May 2011 00:00:00 -0700

Moishe Rosen Obituary Excerpts

"We must believe in our hearts and confess with our mouths the Lord Jesus in order to be saved," Mr. Rosen wrote in a statement posted online at the time of his death. "There are no shortcuts."
-- The Washington Post

"It wasn't because I thought Christianity was nicer than Judaism," he told the Los Angeles Times in 1985. "Nor was it because I wanted to renounce my birthright, as many have said. Basically, I accepted Jesus because, after searching the Scriptures, I found Him to be true."
-- The Washington Post

"Mr. Rosen was an effective preacher, and given to pithy sayings such as "An atheist who is looking for God is like a hooky player looking for a truant officer." ... He could also be blunt. "Jewishness never saved anybody," he wrote in a statement on the Jews for Jesus website."
-- The Wall Street Journal

To his critics, Mr. Rosen responded with the kind of aphoristic wit for which he was known. As he said in an interview with The Fresno Bee in 1994, "If the Jews didn't need Jesus, why didn't he come by way of Norway or Ireland?"
-- The New York Times

Moishe Rosen put Christian belief on the map for American Jews.
-- World Magazine

Mr. Rosen ... held a philosophy that you could be Jewish and still claim Jesus as your Lord and savior.
-- San Francisco Chronicle

Mr. Rosen continued his mission to convert Jews after his death, with a message he requested to be posted on his website when he died. He wrote: "I hope I can count on you to show love and respect for the Jewish people, but Jewishness never saved anybody, no matter how sincere ... because Christ has no place within Judaism."
-- THE JC.com

An Unexpected Opportunity

Ed note: This is only one example of the opportunities to witness that came about through the media coverage of Dad's passing. The names have been changed because we were unable to reach the person for permission, but I don't think she'll mind ...

"This is pretty interesting and hopefully just a beginning. I never actually told my parents about being a Messianic Jew -- always an issue of contention in the family... I danced around the issue for 30 years. My friends thought my parents 'knew.'

"[Shortly after May 19, 2010] I was picked up at the airport by my mom-[I was] returning from Amsterdam. One of the first things my mom told me was that Moishe Rosen died. 'There was a very poignant article in the NY Times, I saved it for you,' she said. There were, as you know, other obits. She found THAT one worth saving. I finally told my mom, after 30 years, that I am a Jew for Jesus. She said, 'I thought you were into something like that.' I hope this short note brings a smile to your faces. Pray for continued strength and opportunities to share the Jewish Messiah with Shirley and the rest of my ACLU/atheistic family. So you see -- the impact of Moishe's life lives on.

Thank you,
Jennifer"

[ Comments ]

Added: Wed, 04 May 2011 00:00:00 -0700
Other Articles

An Independence Problem

Tue, 03 May 2011 00:00:00 -0700

This month Israel is celebrating 63 years as a modern state. "Yom HaAtzma'ut" (Israel's national Independence Day) falls on May 9. With so much unrest in the Middle East and all the uprisings various countries have experienced over the last several months, one can only hope and pray for Israel to be joined by emerging democracies in the region. Perhaps there will be more Independence Day celebrations to come.

But celebrating independence can mask a problem that Israel, and in fact all countries experience when seeking the freedoms that so many western democracies enjoy. Winston Churchill once observed that democracy is the worst form of government -- except all the others that have been tried. As important as independence and democracy are, no type of government or politician can ever provide real and lasting solutions to the problems people and nations face in the Middle East and elsewhere.

Independence and democracy can promote human rights, including the blessings of freedom of religion and freedom of speech. But rather than taking advantage of those freedoms to love and serve God, all too often people use their freedom to disconnect from our Creator and assert independence from accountability to the King of the Universe.

We should want so much more than independence and democracy. The longing of Jesus' people for a heavenly home is not a hunger for democracy but the God-given desire for His rule and reign; to live under the only truly benevolent dictatorship, that of our Lord Jesus.

The history of Israel as recorded in Scripture provides one example after the other of the kind of national problems that occur when people assert independence from God. We see this in the cycles of sin and judgment as recorded in the Book of Judges, or in the pronouncement of Samuel: "But you have today rejected your God, who Himself saved you from all your adversities and your tribulations" (1 Samuel 10:19). Such rejection ultimately led to political and military disaster for Israel, humiliation and captivity in foreign lands such as Assyria, Babylon, Persia and Rome -- indeed all the nations of the Diaspora.

The results of living independently from God should come as no surprise. God had promised Israel that with obedience to Him would come blessing and security in the land. However, disobedience and independence from God would bring disaster: "And it shall be, that just as the Lord rejoiced over you to do you good and multiply you, so the Lord will rejoice over you to destroy you and bring you to nothing; and you shall be plucked from off the land which you go to possess" (Deuteronomy 28:63). These are hard words, but they must be viewed with the promises of ultimate restoration in mind, when Israel will turn to God and be saved from all her enemies.

The fact that the Jewish people are back in the land of Israel today may be cause for celebration and it may indeed be a part of God's plan for ultimate restoration of His people -- but it is not an indication that Israel is walking in obedience to God. I see Israel's presence in the Land today as a result of divine mercy rather than divine right. The distinction is important for those who believe the promises of God's Word. Until Israel celebrates true dependence upon the Lord, causes for celebration are fragile at best.

After all, Israel was still dwelling in the land -- albeit under Roman occupation -- when Paul the apostle wrote, "I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh" (Romans 9:2-3). Paul was looking forward to a day of celebration, but it wasn't Israel's independence day he was looking for and longing to celebrate: "Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved" (Romans 10:1). That salvation comes with dependence upon God through faith in Jesus. We who love the Lord like Paul did also should love Israel as Paul did -- and long for Israel's "Dependence Day" celebration.

Israel is certainly not the only nation that suffers from an independence problem that only Jesus can solve. It is human nature to insist on independence from God and His right to say what is right and wrong, true and false, good and bad in our lives and in this world. Such independence leads to war and unrest, poverty and crime, immorality and the disintegration of the family -- everything that the Bible calls sin. These are the real problems that threaten peoples and nations. Thankfully God provided the real solution.

Jesus willingly gave up His glory and heaven's freedom to be human, to die on the cross to pay the penalty for our self-centered, independent and sinful ways. He rose from the dead so that those of us who trust in Him, who declare our dependence on His finished work on the cross, can be free from the penalty of sin. And that is just the beginning of the liberty we enjoy when we declare our dependence upon God. No longer are we to worry about our lives, what we eat or what we put on. No longer do we need to worry about the future, what may happen to us as a result of the turmoil, sorrows or deprivations that surround us. We still find ourselves living on this earth under democracies or other less than adequate forms of government, but we recognize that our true home is in heaven with our King Y'shua, living under His just and joyful rule and Lordship. Now that is something truly worth celebrating.

Please don't misunderstand: I don't think it is bad for Israel or the United States or any other nation to celebrate Independence Day. But for believers, why not reflect heaven's perspective and celebrate our dependence on God and the salvation He brings us? When we depend on Him, it makes it easier to offer His salvation to others, including the people of Israel.

God made many promises to Israel, and some of those promises point to a day which has yet to be celebrated: "And it shall come to pass in that day that the remnant of Israel, and such as have escaped of the house of Jacob, will never again depend on him who defeated them, but will depend on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, in truth" (Isaiah 10:20).

[ Comments ]

Author: David Brickner
Added: Tue, 03 May 2011 00:00:00 -0700
Other Articles

Bits from the Branches

Tue, 03 May 2011 00:00:00 -0700

Phoenix

Bruce Rapp reports, "I've been meeting with Joe, a retired policeman who served for 32 years on the NYPD. He also went to Israel in 1973 to help during the 'Yom Kippur War.'

"For many years, Joe did not believe in God, mostly because of all the evil in the world. Only in these last years has he begun to believe that God is real and has been watching over him. But Y'shua, Jesus? That was a stretch for Joe. When we talked, he'd look down and say how religion has been the cause of so much conflict in the world. As I listened, I would silently pray, 'God help me to show him Your love for him and how You sent Your Son to take on the sins of the world.'

"Finally I touched his hand and asked him to look at me. His eyes met mine and I began to say how it wasn't about religion, but at this moment it was about him and his relationship with God. Joe continued to look at me, and I found the words begin to come. God enabled me to speak into his heart and tell what Y'shua had done for him.

"Joe got it! He nodded his head in agreement, and when I asked him if he wanted to reconcile with God and receive Y'shua, he said yes! After he prayed, his eyes welled up with tears, he said he felt a great heaviness lifted from him. Please pray for Joe as I continue to meet with him, and try to help him to get connected with a messianic congregation not far from his home."

Montr�al

Karl deSouza reports, "I met David five months ago at a local mall during our Christmas Outreach. He was glad to see us and told me he had just started to believe in Jesus as the Messiah about a month earlier.

"We followed up with a meeting at that same mall. David explained how he'd been raised in a religious home, went to Jewish school, and had never considered Jesus until a Christian couple shared the Gospel with him and invited him to church. He had come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah but didn't believe He is God. We studied Zechariah 12, where God is seen and 'pierced,' and related it to its New Testament fulfillment in John 19:37 and Revelation 1:7-8. David exclaimed, 'I believe it!' We looked at other passages like Isaiah 9:6-7 and considered the titles of Messiah, some of which are completely inappropriate for a mere human being. David prayed to turn from his sins and received Y'shua as his Messiah, Saviour, and God. Please pray for him in his new walk with the Lord and that his family would be open to Y'shua."

Toronto

Laura Barron gives an update on Kathy, whom she asked prayer for in the March Newsletter. "When I first met Kathy, she had so many questions about faith in Jesus and whenever we talked, she brought her list for me to answer. During one of our visits, I could tell that it wasn't so much the questions keeping her from Jesus but more a fear of what it would mean for relationships with her Jewish family and community.

She came to my house a couple of weeks ago for a Shabbat fellowship and she was talking as if she was already a believer in Y'shua. She even broke off a relationship with a man who 'wasn't going in the same spiritual direction' as she was!

The next time I contacted her she told me that she had been going to some Bible studies and when someone asked her if she was a follower of Jesus and she surprised herself by replying, 'Yes!' When I asked her if she had verbally offered her life to the Lord and asked him to forgive her sins, she wondered if she had to make a formal appointment at a church to do that. She was delighted when she realized that she could confess her faith right on the phone with me. Please pray that she will grow and that God will continue to bless her with fellowship."

[ Comments ]

Added: Tue, 03 May 2011 00:00:00 -0700
Other Articles

Blue Mosaic

Tue, 03 May 2011 00:00:00 -0700

It's hard to believe that Blue Mosaic, our mobile evangelistic music team, is finishing their year-long tour next month!

In case you didn't get to see our November newsletter, Blue Mosaic had taken the place of the Liberated Wailing Wall as an equally talented but more contemporary expression of Jewish musicians for Jesus. Traveling a little lighter without the "big bus" the team was able to take advantage of more evangelistic opportunities on college campuses and secular venues such as open mics.

Team leader Julia Pascoe shares: "Besides playing our music to reach Jewish people with the gospel, we found that using a survey helps us get into conversations with people about their beliefs. During our tour we visited Florida Atlantic University where Giselle and I got talking to a young Jewish student named Audrey. She saw our T-shirts 'How can you be Jewish and believe in Jesus? Ask me!' As we got talking, she shared how she thought Jesus did some really good things, and that she'd love to know more about Him. However, like most Jewish people, although not religious, she was taught growing up that Jesus wasn't for her. We shared the gospel with Audrey, and we were able to explain that believing in Jesus is the most Jewish thing a Jewish person can do! Audrey gave us her contact details so that we could send her a free copy of John's Gospel.

Mandie Greenberg adds: "After our outreach at Florida Atlantic University we decided to go to lunch at a local kosher deli. Instantly every eye was upon our Jews for Jesus T-shirts. Some stared, some scoffed, some tried to ignore us. An elderly Jewish man walked up to us, wagging his finger. We could all guess what was coming next, but he totally surprised us. He said, 'I don't understand you people. I don't agree with you. But my nephew is a congregational leader like you up in Chicago. And when a relative of mine passed away and we had the funeral there, the community was so loving and warm! Everyone was so welcoming and gracious! I've never seen anything like it!' He gave us his name so that we could tell his nephew hello for him. So please pray for Uncle Irving's salvation and that he will meet more Jewish believers who will show him the love of Jesus."

Jeff Millenson, our music director who trained the team, reports, "While in San Francisco this past January, our Blue Mosaic music team partnered with a local ministry called SOS for an outreach at Fisherman's Wharf.

"While Blue Mosaic was singing, I handed out Jews for Jesus broadsides to the passersby. An SOS staffer came up to me, along with another young man. 'Do you know what song they are singing? He wants to know,' said the staffer, pointing to the young man. 'Sure, I know -- it's 'Hine Ma Tov' -- Psalm 133,' I said.

"'But why are they singing in Hebrew?' asked the young man, turning to me. I explained that the people singing were all Jews who believe in Jesus, and they were on the street to tell others about Him. The young man was an Israeli who had never heard of Jews for Jesus before. He was very curious about us. Pray that he encounters our staff when he returns to Israel and that God uses them to bring him to a personal encounter with his Messiah."

Please pray for the team members as they transition to their next phase of serving God. Please also pray as our next music team will begin training on our New York City Summer Witnessing Campaign next month. Because of the lead-time for our print newsletter, we don't yet know who all the team members are, but will introduce them to you as soon as we can!

[ Comments ]

Added: Tue, 03 May 2011 00:00:00 -0700
Other Articles

Sneak Preview: taken from the final chapter of Moishe Rosen's yet-to-be published* biography

Tue, 03 May 2011 00:00:00 -0700

"Tell her the doctors said it's cancer," I heard Dad coaching Mom from the background, but instead of repeating the news, Mom simply handed him the phone.

"It's cancer that's spread to my bones," he announced. After a brief pause I managed to say: "I'll be right over."

When I was in my twenties and Dad was in his forties he told me, "Ruth, when I die, I want you to tell people that I lived a good, full life. Tell them not to mourn for me because I will be with the Lord." He was not ill at the time.

"Stop talking like that," my mother scolded. "Can't you see you're upsetting her?"

I'll never forget the look of surprised hurt on my father's face. "But I need her to understand," he said. "It's no tragedy."

As I looked at him that nineteen-seventy-something day, I thought I saw something beyond hurt in his eyes. It looked like fear -- not of death, but that I would not understand when it was his time to go. It was quite startling.

"Don't worry, Dad," I quickly reassured him. "I will pass on your message when the time comes."

He looked relieved. It was one of the few times I remember feeling that my father needed something from me. He needed me to face his death well.

Which brings us to February 12, 2007. Dad reminded us that he had dedicated his life to telling others that Jesus was the way to be reconciled with God, giving them the hope of heaven -- a hope that he believed for himself. "The worst thing that could happen would be for my family to turn my death into a tragedy," he said, giving voice to that same concern he'd expressed some three decades earlier.

I hugged him. "We need to take one day at a time. Let's wait and see. No one has to say goodbye to anyone today." He nodded his agreement.

* We have progressed from reviewing the offer from an excellent publisher to negotiating a contract. We look forward to naming the publisher once the contract is approved and everyone has signed on the dotted line!

[ Comments ]

Author: Moishe Rosen
Added: Tue, 03 May 2011 00:00:00 -0700
Other Articles

Generation to Generation

Mon, 02 May 2011 00:00:00 -0700

I was a Camp Gilgal camper. Now I'm a Camp Gilgal director. And I have heard it said time and again that "Children's ministry takes so much patience. It can be that you invest for years and years before you see any fruit." I have tried my best to take this to heart and to trust that God's Spirit is working. As I gear up for this year's summer camp, I can say that it's been worth the wait.

Our last season of camp was our twentieth year. Twenty years is a milestone, and I'd like to share a few of the fruit-bearing stories from last year, hoping it will encourage you to pray for us this year.

Johannah was in her fifth and final year of Junior Camp. Two summers previously, she was questioning whether God was really good or not. She wasn't sure if she really believed in Y'shua, or that He would or could forgive her sins. At the end of that session of camp, she recommitted her life to the Lord. I was unsure of what that decision meant to her at the time, but I had the opportunity to learn the rest of the story last year. Johannah asked if I remembered how she had struggled with her faith two years earlier. I did. She told me that since her recommitment at camp she's seen how she has grown in her faith. She has been learning to trust God and is seeking Him for the direction her life should take. It was amazing to hear a twelve-year-old articulate her process of faith so clearly. It was also an encouragement and reminder to me to see that the decisions the kids make at camp shape the direction of their lives.

One of our long-time campers, Josh, began attending camp as an 8-year-old. At 17, he was in his last year as a camper and hoping to stay involved as an assistant tribe leader (camp counselor). He described the position as a combination of a big brother and someone who could provide spiritual guidance. When interviewed for the position he said the idea of being an assistant tribe leader was exciting to him because "it represents a real transition from being a camper to making camp about other people, to give back to the program that was instrumental to my faith. I am excited to be able to inherit the charge and be part of the cycle of camp." What Josh said about giving back to the program, and making camp about other people is evidence of the spiritual growth that has taken place in his life.

At Adventure Camp, I had a series of conversations with a camper named Josiah. He has also been a camper since he was 8 years old, and a few years ago I had the opportunity to disciple and train him for his Bar Mitzvah. Though he is from a believing family, Josiah's faith hadn't yet flourished. He'd attended our Adventure Camp the previous year, and seemed pretty unplugged from the spiritual aspects of the program. He wasn't going to come back the following year, but changed his mind. One day, he and I were canoe buddies and talked the whole day as we paddled through the Adirondacks. Over the rest of camp, we got into all sorts of spiritual conversations, and usually other campers were around and part of the discussion too. One of the other guys, David, was telling us about the process he went through when he was 12 to 13 to understand his faith for himself, and not just because it's what his parents believe. David had read a lot of apologetics books and came out on the other side with a firm foundation for his faith. The next conversation I had with Josiah ended with him asking if I would resume meeting with him after camp so we could read through different apologetics books together, which we've been doing. He's been eager to understand more about faith in Jesus and why he believes what he believes and seems closer to wanting to please God.

Through the ministry of Camp Gilgal, many young Jewish people have found their identity as Jewish people encouraged and affirmed, and they have found a place for their faith in Y'shua to be challenged for growth. We have had more than 20 years to invest in future generations of Jewish believers in Messiah (myself included!) and I'm looking forward to seeing more and more fruit from these first 20 years, and what's to come from the next 20 years!

Liz Goldstein is part of our New York branch. She not only grew up in Camp Gilgal, but she also grew up as an "MK:" her parents, Marcia and Baruch Goldstein, helped to found the ministry of Jews for Jesus.

[ Comments ]

Author: Liz Goldstein
Added: Mon, 02 May 2011 00:00:00 -0700
Other Articles

Bits from the Branches

Fri, 01 Apr 2011 00:00:00 -0700

Los Angeles

Tuvya Zaretsky reports, "Two years ago we published an article in our newsletter titled "Never Too Old" about a Jewish man named Chuck. Cyril Gordon and I had ministered to Chuck and he repented and came to faith in Messiah in August 2008. I visited him last year, just before Christmas at the invitation of a family member. Chuck was dying of cancer, but his spirits were good and his faith was unwavering as he looked ahead to the shalom of being with his Lord. He asked me to help out with his funeral; specifically he wanted to insure a testimony of his Jewish identity and his faith in Y'shua to unsaved family members. So, after 89 years of life on earth -- and more than two of those walking with the Savior -- Chuck passed into life everlasting in the presence of Messiah Jesus -- on December 27. Please pray that God will work in the hearts of family members who heard of his faith.

New York

Shoshannah Weinisch reports, "I received a phone call from Bonnie, a Jewish believer I meet with occasionally. She called to tell me she met another Jewish believer and as he shared his testimony, he explained that eighteen years ago two of his [then] patients, Stewart and Shoshannah, shared the gospel with him. And now he is a believer! They were surprised they both knew me, and I was floored to hear the news. We all will be getting together soon. Bonnie was so excited to tell me, 'A seed you planted long ago has bloomed!' I hope this will encourage anyone who has prayed and witnessed without seeing fruit. 'Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up' (Galatians 6:9)."

Tel Aviv

Yarden Nasser reports, "It was my second visit with Mila. She invited Moti (a student intern) and me to come inside her small apartment with a mattress on the floor. She has a boy about eight years old. She was very glad to meet with me and even though she didn't agree that Jesus is the Messiah, she was willing to investigate and study the Bible together. As I taught her about the meaning of the Messiah and the priest in the Hebrew Scriptures, she listened carefully. Then we read some prophecies from Isaiah. She agreed about the sin in the world and commented that most people don't want to come to a holy God 'because they want to continue to sin.' She didn't resist hearing the gospel. After I prayed for her, she began to tear as she explained how difficult her life is. She is a single hardworking mom. Please pray for Mila to be saved; she seems very close."

"Gozena, a Jewish-Spanish woman in Tel Aviv, is a brilliant woman who has her own business. I met her for the first time a year ago; she is a contact from the Behold Your God Gush Dan campaign. When I came to her home, her family members were there. She invited me to speak what was on my mind in front of all of them. I thought they might kick me out of the house! But after they listened a little bit, everyone except Gozena went to do whatever they needed to do. Gozena said that she felt what I believe about Jesus could be true. She invited me to visit her at her work. I came and we began to study from the Gospel of John. Gozena's assistant kept interrupting to contradict the gospel. Finally Gozena told her assistant that she wanted to read and to learn about Jesus, which was a victory in my eyes! The next time we met at her office, we studied Isaiah 53 together and she agreed that it's about Jesus. She wants to continue studying the Bible with us. Please pray for Gozena to receive Jesus as her Savior!"

[ Comments ]

Added: Fri, 01 Apr 2011 00:00:00 -0700
Other Articles

Jews for Jesus CLIMS

Fri, 01 Apr 2011 00:00:00 -0700

Our Co-Laborers in Messiah (CLIMs) are an amazing group of trained volunteers under the leadership of Carolyne Rohrig, our CLIM Coordinator.

The CLIM program is for people who want to help reach Jewish people for Jesus, be they around the neighborhood or around the world. It's an opportunity for college-age students, empty nesters, retired folks -- people of all ages who long to do something meaningful and can spare a few hours to do it.

CLIMs enable us to be more places and do more outreach than we could possibly hope to do on our own. They support our missionaries when we are out on the road, through housing and helping with church meetings, or even teaming up with us for sorties (tract-passing expeditions).

One of the best things about CLIMs is the variety of ways they choose to help us make the Messiahship of Jesus an unavoidable issue to Jewish people worldwide, whether behind the scenes or on the front lines. Each CLIM chooses aspects of ministry that fit his or her gifts and personality, whether they desire to be on the front lines of evangelism, or behind the scenes ... or both!
We have Jewish and Gentile CLIMs, some are young and others just young at heart, but all share a common desire for Jewish people to hear the gospel.

Here are a few we'd like you to meet:

Sarah Watson
"The Lord has given me a heart for hospitality. As a CLIM I have found my niche by serving our missionaries and Board members during their quarterly meetings. I enjoy doing this in a quiet, behind-the-scenes kinda way as they do the outreach and evangelism."

Ron McDevitt
"In the past three months, my team of helpers and I have had 18 people come to faith, several of whom are Jewish. I enjoy evangelistic outreaches, Bible studies with Jewish people on a regular basis, and I speak in churches. It is especially exciting to see new Jewish believers grow in the Lord. I am so thankful for the opportunity to serve with this great ministry."

Jill Dodsworth
"As a CLIM, I have been on the "front lines" doing various sorties at colleges and on the streets of San Francisco. But my real gift and passion is administrative work. I helped put together CLIM training binders, created spreadsheets for the Los Angeles branch to aid in their scheduling of Blue Mosaic outreach events, took care of the noshes (munchies) for the West Coast Ingathering and handled the reservations for the San Francisco branch's two Passover banquets. I am excited to see how God will use me in the future."

Karen Myers
"Being a CLIM has opened my world over the years as I have traveled throughout the US and Europe to help with evangelistic campaigns, and children's camps in Israel. I also represented the ministry on campus while a college student at Biola University. This is a great way to get involved and serve the Lord with the gospel.

I've enjoyed anything from talking seriously with businessmen about Y'shua when I'm in my clown costume to sharing scripture with collegians for "Psalm Reading" in popular nightlife hangouts. It's a joy to have divine encounters by re-humanizing people, one by one, as they shove through busy subway stations like droves of cattle or to encourage Jewish missionaries around the world by volunteering for special events, campaigns or projects."

If you want to learn more about being a CLIM, email Carolyne Rohrig at carolyne.rohrig@jewsforjesus.org or write to her at Jews for Jesus, 60 Haight Street, San Francisco, CA 94102.

[ Comments ]

Added: Fri, 01 Apr 2011 00:00:00 -0700
Other Articles

Jews for Jesus in the United Kingdom

Fri, 01 Apr 2011 00:00:00 -0700

The United Kingdom is home to the second largest Jewish population in Europe, and has the fifth largest Jewish community worldwide. Over two-thirds of British Jews live in London where there are numerous pockets of Jewish communities, each with its own characteristics. Jewish people originally settled in east London, and many still reside there. Others, mainly those who are "upwardly mobile" have moved north or west.

With all its variations and diversity, London ranks thirteenth in the world as a Jewish population center. You can see why it was important to Jews for Jesus to have a solid testimony there. We got our official start in the UK in January of 1992 when Stephen and Deborah Pacht opened our London branch.

Yoel Ben David has been spearheading our evangelistic efforts in London since July, 2010. He and his wife Adele are both Israelis; prior to becoming believers in Jesus they lived for a time in one of Israel's most orthodox Jewish communities. The Ben David's have been with Jews for Jesus since 2004. Yoel has led several evangelistic outreaches, including several festivals in Israel. From Israel he served in the London branch, then San Francisco where he worked alongside David Brickner before returning to London to take his current post. He and Adele have three children, Noa, Boaz and Natanel.

Alison and Barry Barnett both grew up in Liverpool and London respectively; Barry had a liberal (somewhat like Reform Jewish in the US) upbringing, while Alison's home was secular. While Barry was in his thirties when he came to faith, Alison has believed since she was sixteen. They both began volunteering with our London branch and met at our Hanukkah party in 2005. They began full-time service with us during the summer of 2008, participating in three consecutive witnessing campaigns in Israel, London and New York City. In addition to frontline missionary work, Alison also edits our UK newsletter.

Ziggy Rogoff was brought up in a kosher-observant home in the London borough of Redbridge. He attended Hebrew classes three times a week and celebrated his bar mitzvah in Jerusalem at the Western Wall. As a young adult Ziggy did not believe in God. However, after completing his post-doctoral studies in mathematics, he accepted a friend's invitation to church, where he heard a clear explanation of the gospel. But it was through reading Betrayed- the life story of Stan Telchin- that Ziggy realized it was possible to be Jewish and believe in Jesus. Once he was convinced, he wanted to tell others. He began volunteering with Jews for Jesus and joined our staff in 2009.

Julia Pascoe was born and raised in London and has known Jesus as her Messiah since 1998. She, like Ziggy and so many Jewish believers we know, was greatly influenced by the book, Betrayed. Julia began to volunteer with Jews for Jesus, playing her guitar at special events such as our annual Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) service. She joined our staff in 2004. She is a member of our Jews for Jesus Council and is currently on hiatus from the London branch as she leads Blue Mosaic, our evangelistic music team (see November 2010 newsletter.) Traveling with Blue Mosaic continues to be a wonderful adventure for Julia, but once that season is over, she will be eager to resume her ministry in London.

In addition, we also have two missionary trainees who are completing their training in our London branch, Kata and Simon, both of whom were introduced in our Newsletter as new trainees late last year (October 2010).

Kata Tar is from Hungary, where she received a Marxist education and remained an atheist until she became disillusioned with these ideologies while at university. She began searching, never dreaming that Jesus could be for her. It was not until she met with an old friend who had become a Christian that she opened her heart to Him.

Simon Lissak grew up in a secular household, deeply affected by the experiences of his father, who managed to escape Poland during World War II. As an adult Simon felt he had everything one could want, yet he and his wife, Maxime, felt something was missing. Through a series of circumstances, including an accident involving their 22-month-old son Felix, the family was drawn to Jesus.

Kata and Simon both volunteered extensively with Jews for Jesus before applying to be full time evangelists.

The branch conducts regular events to reach Jewish seekers and to keep us connected with those who are part of the larger Jews for Jesus community. On Monday nights, Yoel and Alison teach from the parsha (the particular Scripture readings that will be heard in Jewish worship services that week). Once a month, the branch has a community meeting (called a havurah) that includes Jewish seekers and various believers in Y'shua (both Jewish and Gentile) who volunteer with us, and/or bring Jewish friends to our events. Every three weeks there is a Shabbat meal for singles (believers as well as seekers) and each month the branch has Bible clubs for children in north and south London. Plans are also in the works to host quarterly film events as an opportunity to stimulate discussion with Jewish seekers who have been meeting with our missionary staff.

As in all our branches, missionaries in London focus on meeting with Jewish seekers and doing their best to see new Jewish believers in Jesus grow in the faith. Their ministry would not be possible without the support of our faithful and hard working administrative staff: Kevin Wren (CAO); administrators Wendy Burton and Tony Metliss; and Gwen Vollans and Etinosa Omogiade who help with church relations so that our missionaries can meet more Christians who might become involved with our ministry.

We hope the following perspectives by Ziggy -- as he's just finishing his training -- and Barry, who is learning to see his calling in a new way, will give you a feeling for what it's like to be a missionary to the Jewish people in London.

Ziggy reports:
I have been reflecting over the past few months that it is time for me to be FIT for the demands of ministry: F for focused, I for innovative, and T for transitioned. Indeed this is a transitional time for me, as I finish the training I began in New York and become a full-time missionary.

When I think of focus, I think of the core values we memorized in training: the first core value being direct Jewish evangelism as our priority. There are many theological issues we may feel a need to discuss or debate, but these can be distracting. We have to repeat continually the message that Jewish people, like all people, need to hear the message of the Savior and repent of their sins. Focus is essential to our work.

Innovation is also essential for the ministry. It is embedded in core value number eight: creativity in our staff. There is a real need to meet peoples' needs by finding ever more creative ways to communicate the gospel effectively. I developed a program of Jewish evangelism taking people on tours of the Holocaust exhibition, that I called Ten One, (the title comes from Romans 10:1, 'Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved.') and we are now shaping this into something we hope to use as an outreach in the London Branch. I am also working on communicating the gospel via visiting Christian Union meetings in schools as well as in universities. Recently, I began to organize Friday night Shabbat meals in order to network young Jewish believers and provide an opportunity for them to bring friends to hear the gospel. Every time we meet I give a short talk on that week's parsha (portion from the cycle of Scripture readings).

Focus and innovation are important, but I recently took the exam marking the end of my training period, so right now transition is at the forefront of my mind! Putting training into practice is a transition. It's time to increase my weekly visits, phone calls, sorties (tract-passing expeditions) and more. I am probably most excited about sorties, as this will allow me to do cold contact evangelism for many hours each week. Sorties can be tiring, but they really develop my thinking on communicating the gospel. They also help me depend on my relationship with God as I ask him to mold my understanding of His love so that I can step out in courageous faith and proclaim God's message to a lost and confused world.

Barry reports:
I'm the kind of person who starts out with high hopes and great expectations and can easily become discouraged and disheartened. God is showing me that witnessing is often a slow, painstaking process and I need godly patience for the long haul. My instincts are to try to speed up the process, to "collar" people and demand, 'Why can't you see it? Jesus is your Messiah!' But I remember Hebrews 12:1 ('... let us run with endurance the race that is set before us') and must accept that I am in a long, slow "race." A marathon!

British people are usually very polite, but often need much time to trust. I am a classic extrovert, quick to dive in and talk, uncomfortable with the slow, patient approach! But Paul exhorted Timothy to 'be persistent ... with the utmost patience' (2 Timothy 4:2). Patience does not come naturally to me, but when I look to Jesus, it releases the pressure I feel to precipitate a spiritual breakthrough with Sid or Moishe or anyone else I visit. Suddenly it is Jesus' 'problem,' and I need only trust Him.

For example, I had been phoning Russell on and off for about a year. He was always polite, always avoided talking about Jesus and always declined to meet. Then, one evening, I asked if he'd like to meet, as usual (a little half-heartedly) and he surprised me by saying 'Yes.' I quickly arranged a place and we had a great talk. He listened as I shared from John's Gospel and he asked lots of questions. We parted with him wanting more. Praise God! And I did praise Him, because I had thought Russell was a lost cause.

Then there is Aubrey. He seemed to relish a good argument, enjoyed spouting off at me, and always came back to his standard Jewish orthodox views. I wondered if my time with him was well spent and thought perhaps I should stop seeing him.

How wrong I was! How quick to judge I was. Avi Snyder (our European director) and Yoel advised that I should wait until Aubrey and I had at least twelve visits before making any decisions. So I phoned Aubrey. He was happy to hear from me. We met and this time, we were able to talk about real issues. It had taken a while before Aubrey felt comfortable with me, but we've since had several meetings. Please pray for Aubrey and Russell's salvation.

On a sortie recently, a troubled woman started chatting with me and then suddenly took a great risk, "I'm gay," she said. And waited expectantly for me to reject her. She knew I could not condone her lifestyle. But neither did I have to condemn her. "Jesus loves you." I said. She seemed moved by that statement. What a privilege we have. People open up to us because we carry Jesus' peace with us, and if we are patient, we can help them see that they can trust Him.

And so I am learning to pace myself, and to trust Jesus more for peace, patience and breakthroughs ... both large and small!

Please uphold our London staff and those they are meeting with in your prayers. Also please pray as they are are planning and preparing for the Olympics outreach in 2012.

[ Comments ]

Added: Fri, 01 Apr 2011 00:00:00 -0700
Other Articles

A Purim Lesson: Taking Risks

Sun, 06 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0800

Purim is all about survival -- the survival of the Jewish people. It is as relevant today as is was in the sixth century b.c. when the story of Purim (recorded in the book of Esther) first unfolded. It remains relevant because, as a people, we've faced continual threats to our survival. In ancient Egypt it was survival under a Pharoah. In inter-testamental times it was survival under the Syrian tyrant Antiochus. In the last century it was survival under Hitler. And today? Demographers say that one of the greatest threats to Jewish survival is assimilation.

The story of Purim is doubly relevant because it not only tells the story of a man who wanted do away with all Jews -- namely Haman -- but it also gives some insight into assimilation as a threat to survival.

The Jews living in Persia at that time had chosen not to return to their homeland after the decree of Cyrus that ended their Babylonian captivity.

They had become acculturated to Persian ways, even taking on non-Jewish names like Esther (which was a derivative of Ishtar) and Mordecai (taken from Marduk). Most Jews at the time were content to live their faith in a very understated way at best. After all, what kind of Jewish lifestyle could someone like Esther have, married to a Persian king? And how overt a Jew can one like Mordecai have been as an advisor to a king who was used to people bowing down to him? Had Esther not begged for an opportunity for her people to defend themselves, her husband might never have known that she (or Mordecai) was a Jew.

Fast forward to the 2st century. Mark is a middle-class Jew who grew up in a Jewish home with respect for family customs and traditions but not fully committed to living them out. Married to a good Christian woman (she'd been far from her faith when they married, but later surrendered her life to Jesus), Mark approached me after a presentation I gave in a local church:

"I have three questions for you. If you can answer them, I'm willing to consider more seriously what this [belief in Jesus as personally relevant] is all about."

I smiled and said, "Okay, go for it."

"First," Mark said, "Why a need for a Messiah?" Next, "If we do need a Messiah, what makes you think that it is Jesus?" And third, "If it is Jesus, then what?"

His questions were excellent, but I told him that I needed to know one thing. I was confident I could demonstrate the need for a Messiah and how Jesus fit the picture from the Bible, but I didn't know if he gave any credence to the Book. Now, one might think that would be a given for "people of the Book," but most Jews today are more familiar with the culture around them than with the content of the Scriptures. Many view the Scriptures as little more than a collection of quaint stories to help us lead a more ethical and moral life.

Mark explained to me that he thought the Bible was written by people, not God, but he could assent to it being "inspired." "After all," he went on, "I have found myself inspired at times, so why not the writers of the Bible?" I told him that was a good start for our discussions. (Often it's not until people begin reading the Bible that they come to realize God is speaking to them through it.)

I'm excited about following up with Mark. But the answer to his third question, "What then?" will be the hardest one for him to accept. His family will not take well to his becoming a believer. Jewish people commonly misunderstand believing in Jesus as assimilation and a threat to Jewish survival. That's why those of us who believe are often branded as traitors, self-hating Jews, or worse. Our job is to show that Jesus is not a threat, but the fulfillment of our Jewish destiny.

When it comes to destiny, I'm encouraged by the heroes of the Purim account. They had lived in relative comfort as part of a larger Persian culture, yet Mordecai refused to bow down to anyone but God. And Esther risked her life to stand up for the truth. When it came down to survival, Esther and Mordecai were tested and they passed with flying colors. Well, Mark's eternal destiny is at stake here, and it's my prayer that God will give him the courage to take that step of faith. I hope you'll join me.

Susan Perlman is one of the founders of Jews for Jesus. In addition to assisting David Brickner, she is the director of our publications and media departments... among many other things!

[ Comments ]

Author: Susan Perlman
Added: Sun, 06 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0800
Other Articles

Bits from the Branches

Sun, 06 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0800

New York

Simon Lissak reports, "I was in the Diamond District of New York when I met Jacob, a young Israeli in his twenties who came up specifically to ask me, 'What is Jews for Jesus all about?' I answered his question and at the end of our conversation I offered to meet with him to talk about this further. Jacob agreed and gave me his e-mail address and phone number. Please pray for God to work in his heart.

"I then met Lauren, a Jewish woman, also in her twenties. Amazingly, it emerged that she was English, lived in London, even went to my old school -- and was only in New York for a few hours! Lauren never really connected with the Orthodox synagogue that her family attends and feels in limbo about her faith. I explained how I was fulfilled as a Jew through faith in Jesus. She gave me her e-mail and has agreed to meet when I finish my New York training and return to London."

Israel

Oded Cohen reports, "After asking you to pray for Ami,* I want to share the good news that he now believes in Jesus! Before we left for a recent trip, we took Ami to a congregation and he has attended every week since. After returning home to Israel I called Ami, and during our conversation I asked, 'Where are you at now? Did you come to believe that Jesus is your Lord and Savior?' Ami responded, 'Oh yes, yes, definitely.' He added, 'Since I came to believe, I can really pray to God.' He has already told his mom and thinks that she is not too far from believing herself. He also told his friends -- one of whom has already met with another of our missionaries. This friend said he wished he could believe, too. Please pray for Ami's spiritual growth and for salvation for his friends and family."

Bimini Cohen reports, "One of our missionaries in New York requested by e-mail that we follow up with Avi* (an Israeli believer he met who was vacationing in New York). We recognized from the brief description of his salvation story that we know him! My husband Oded and Avi attended the same Jews for Jesus Bible study back in 1999 -- when they were new believers. We also had the privilege of attending Avi's baptism under the Golden Gate Bridge in the Pacific Ocean, but we lost touch with him when he moved back to Israel. Not too long ago, we thought of him and were wondering how we might find him. Well, God certainly answered that prayer! He is now married with a child and lives near us. We look forward to seeing him again and hope to have a ministry to his wife, who does not yet believe. Please pray for our contact with them."
*not his real name

Germany

Dina Markova reports, "Olga* and I live in the same block. In the past, I shared the Good News with her and told her about our faith in detail. Olga didn't seem to show interest, and I stopped calling her. Recently, when I saw her in the neighborhood, she asked me why I hadn't call her in a while. It turned out that she was far more interested and open than our last visit had indicated. She asked me to visit her home for a cup of tea. We came to her place and the first thing we did was to pray the sinner's prayer. Olga thanked Y'shua for the gift of eternal life!"
* not her real name

Igor Shelest reports, "I visited an elderly woman named Zlata who has multiple sclerosis. One woman I used to minister to died from this disease, so I realized that every minute with Zlata was precious. I had visited her before and this time I prepared a study about sin. God opened her heart to the gospel and she said she believed. I asked her if she wanted to ask forgiveness for her sins from God in the name of Jesus Christ, and she said yes, so we prayed. After the prayer she said she felt as if something had filled her inside. I could really see a difference in her countenance. Please pray for her to grow in the Lord."

[ Comments ]

Added: Sun, 06 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0800
Other Articles

It Never "Just So Happens"

Sun, 06 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0800

Kathy walked in the door with big, funny glasses and a clown nose -- which was absolutely appropriate since we were hosting a Jews for Jesus Purim party. As we began reading through the Megillah (the book of Esther), whirling our graggers (noisemakers) loudly at every mention of the evil villain Haman, I could see Kathy's shoulders visibly relax. Her body language seemed to say, "This is okay; this is familiar and I'm having fun."

Later we mingled over hamantaschen (traditional Purim pastries) and I found out that Kathy's father came from an Orthodox Jewish family of Holocaust survivors. However, he chose to marry out of the faith. Kathy's aunts, uncles and cousins on her dad's side were still Orthodox, but her mother, a Christian, brought her up attending Sunday school.

Kathy remained "spiritually uncommitted." She was in Toronto to finish up her coursework for a doctoral degree and "happened" to be rooming with a Jewish believer I know, which is how she "happened" to attend our Purim party. The interesting thing is, the Book of Esther is filled with "just so happens" that show how God works through seemingly random circumstances to save people.

I called Kathy a week after the party to see if we could visit over coffee. Though hesitant, she agreed. Since her masters degree was on the subject of the Holocaust, I brought along our Survivors Stories DVD as well as our booklet Questions & Answers.

Throughout our hour together, she seemed open and curious. When I asked who she thought Jesus was at this juncture in her life, Kathy replied that her biggest problem was the issue of the Resurrection, which she recognized as being crucial to the Christian faith. I followed up our time together by emailing her links to our ISSUES articles on the Resurrection and other resources with the challenge that if this was really the struggle she was having with faith, we could confront it openly and honestly.

When I contacted her to meet again I was surprised and delighted by her response:

Hi Laura,

I had the chance to watch the movie tonight with a friend. I was struck by Isaiah 53, and I am looking forward to connecting with you after my last exam on April 20th. I've decided to read the entire Bible after my exams, both the Old and New Testaments. I haven't done so since I was in Sunday School.

When we met again after Passover, she gave me a hug. I could see that she had prepared for our time together by bringing a Bible and notebook, along with the literature I'd given her. We got right down to business and she told me that the articles I forwarded and the literature I gave her answered the questions she'd had. Kathy opened her notebook and showed me a new list of questions. As we went through them together I sensed that these were not her main issues, so I asked what was really keeping her from following Jesus. She replied simply, "I think everything you're telling me is true and that Jesus really is the Messiah of Israel, but if I make a commitment of faith, my bubbe and zayde (grandmother and grandfather) will be very hurt and upset. I don't think I can do this to them after all that they've been through."

I did not leave that visit discouraged or downhearted. I know God is calling Kathy and she cannot resist the tug. It's visible in everything she says and does. Kathy finished her degree and her time in Toronto, but we agreed to visit together via Skype. Please pray with me for Kathy!

Laura Barron, married to Toronto branch leader Andrew Barron, keeps busy with their three children, Rafael, Ketzia and Simona -- in addition to meeting with Jewish seekers and editing our Canadian as well as our South African newsletters!

[ Comments ]

Author: Laura Barron
Added: Sun, 06 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0800
Other Articles

Moishe's Musings

Sun, 06 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0800

The following are just a couple of extracts from some of Moishe's leadership lessons. They are part of a collection that will probably appear as an index in the above mentioned biography.

Competition

If I've had any success in life, it's that I've refused to compete with other people. I've competed only with myself, because I'm not trying to better them; I'm trying to better me. Can I do better? Can I beat myself? That's the way you have to think. It's not just when things go wrong, but when they go right as well that we should ask, "What could I have done better?" When you find an area where you're gifted and you do very well in something, that's where you really concentrate on doing better because you can excel.

Controversy and Conflict

The natural man wants to avoid controversy and conflict. The spiritual person knows that it's inevitable, even though she or he never enjoys it. We don't like to cause pain, and perhaps the impact of the gospel causes pain. That pain is momentary, but there's an even worse, eternal pain. We should not mute our proclamation in order to avoid impact. But we should sharpen it and focus it so it can cause impact at the right time, at the right place, in the right way.

[ Comments ]

Author: Moishe Rosen
Added: Sun, 06 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0800
Other Articles

Overview of the Minor* Prophets

Sun, 06 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0800

*"Minor" does not reflect the importance of these books, but simply their length as compared to the other prophets.

Prophet and dates of ministry¹
Hosea
760-722 B.C.

Number of chapters
14

Theme
God's love for Israel in the midst of Israel's unfaithfulness

Points of Interest
Hosea commanded to marry an unfaithful woman; series of startling metaphors for God including a lion, a leopard, a bear, a moth, a pine tree and even rot! ²

New Testament Connection
Hosea 2:23b, quoted in Romans 9:25-26: "I will plant her for myself in the land; I will show my love to the one I called 'Not my loved one.' I will say to those called 'Not my people,' 'You are my people'; and they will say, 'You are my God.'" (See also Hosea 11:1, quoted in Matthew 2:15.)

Prophet and dates of ministry
Joel
810-750 B.C.

Number of chapters
3

Theme
The "Day of the Lord" -- both for judgment and for hope

Points of Interest
Locust plague: Image of the locust has entered popular culture as a metaphor for destruction.

New Testament Connection
Joel 2:28-32a, quoted in Acts 2:17-21: "And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days. I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved . . ."

Prophet and dates of ministry
Amos
760 B.C.

Number of chapters
9

Theme
Social injustices are seen as sins against God. Empty "religion" does not reflect a true spiritual and ethical relationship with God.

Points of Interest
Famous verse: "But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!" (5:24) The Talmud says (Makkot 24a) that Moses gave Israel 613 commandments; that David reduced them to ten, Isaiah to two, and Amos to one: "This is what the Lord says to the house of Israel: 'Seek me and live'" (Amos 5:4).

New Testament Connection
Amos 9:11-12, quoted in Acts 15:16-17: "In that day I will restore David's fallen tent. I will repair its broken places, restore its ruins, and build it as it used to be, so that they may possess the remnant of Edom and all the nations that bear my name," declares the Lord, who will do these things.

Prophet and dates of ministry
Obadiah
587 B.C. ?

Number of chapters
1

Theme
Israel and Edom
Arrogance and pride lead to downfall.

Points of Interest
Recalls the story of Isaac and Esau, from whom Edom was descended.

New Testament Connection
Herod the Great, who sought to destroy Jesus in Matthew 2, was a descendant of Edom. His actions seem to reflect the ancient enmity of Edom to Israel.

Prophet and dates of ministry
Jonah
760 B.C.

Number of chapters
4

Theme
Repentance and God's mercy -- and our own attitudes to others who are recipients of that mercy

Points of Interest
The miraculous "fish story," the equally miraculous repentance of Nineveh, and the final verse with an unexpected ending pointing out that God cares about animals as well as people.

New Testament Connection
Jonah's return from the fish likened to resurrection; referred to by Jesus in Matthew 12:39-41; 16:4; Luke 11:29-32

Prophet and dates of ministry
Micah
740-687 B.C.

Number of chapters
7

Theme
God's judgment on sin

Points of Interest
Prophecy of Messiah's birthplace in Bethlehem
Famous verses 4:3, "He will judge between many peoples and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore."

New Testament Connection
Micah 5:2 [Hebrew v. 1], quoted in Matthew 2:6: "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times."

Prophet and dates of ministry
Nahum
630-612 B.C.

Number of chapters
3

Theme
God's punishment of Assyria and its capital, Nineveh

Points of Interest
A "flip side" to Jonah; some years after Jonah, Nahum prophesies the downfall of Assyria and its capital, Nineveh.

New Testament Connection
Though not quoted, the contrast between Nineveh at the time of Jonah and at the time of Nahum brings to mind 1 Corinthians 10:12, "So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall!"

Prophet and dates of ministry
Habakkuk
600 B.C.

Number of chapters
3

Theme
We can trust God, even though as finite beings we cannot always see the reasons God allows evil.

Points of Interest
We saw that the Talmud says that Amos reduced the 613 commandments to one. An alternative tradition suggests that it was Habakkuk who reduced them to one: "the righteous will live by his faith" (Habakkuk 2:4b).

New Testament Connection
Habakkuk 2:4b, quoted in Romans 1:16 and Galatians 3:11: "but the righteous will live by his faith."

Prophet and dates of ministry
Zephaniah
640-610 B.C.

Number of chapters
3

Theme
Judgment and hope both for Israel and the nations as the prophet predicts the Day of the Lord and the salvation of a "remnant"

Points of Interest
Like Nahum, this book offers a flip side to the story of Jonah and Nineveh.

New Testament Connection
Not quoted, but we are reminded that the New Testament picks up the remnant theme in several passages, such as Romans 11:5: "So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace."

Prophet and dates of ministry
Haggai
520 B.C. ?

Number of chapters
2

Theme
Encouragement to rebuild the Temple

Points of Interest
Well known verses, 1:2-4: "This is what the Lord Almighty says: "These people say, 'The time has not yet come for the Lord's house to be built.'" Then the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai: "Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?""

New Testament Connection
Haggai 2:6-7, 21, quoted in Hebrews 12:26: "This is what the Lord Almighty says: 'In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. I will shake all nations, and the desired of all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,' says the Lord Almighty."

Prophet and dates of ministry
Zechariah
520 B.C. ?

Number of chapters
14

Theme
Building up the community that had returned from exile and the future redemption of the nations of the world -- all to take place under godly leadership

Points of Interest
Contains series of unique "night visions" in chapters 1–6
Famous prophecies of Messiah quoted in the NT: 9:9 (Messiah comes on a donkey); 11:12-13 (30 pieces of silver); 13:7 (stricken shepherd); 12:10 (pierced one on whom the nation will look).

New Testament Connection
Zechariah 9:9, quoted in Matthew 21:5, John 12:15: "Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey."

See also Zechariah 12:10, quoted in John 19:37, alluded to in Revelation 1:7, as well as Zechariah 13:17, quoted in Matthew 26:31, Mark 14:27

Prophet and dates of ministry
Malachi
450 B.C. ?

Number of chapters
4

Theme
Covenant relationships

Points of Interest
Famous verse, 3:10 -- "'Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,'" says the Lord Almighty, 'and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.'" Often used to support church tithing, but we must be careful of reading such verses into the New Testament without NT support.

New Testament Connection
Malachi 3:1, quoted in Matthew 11:10, Mark 1:2, Luke 7:27 (and sometimes combined with Isaiah 40:3): "'See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,' says the Lord Almighty."

Malachi 4:5-6, alluded to in Matthew 11:14, 17:11-12; Mark 6:15, Luke 1:17

Spiritual Implications and Application

Common threads throughout the group suggest that God's people benefit from repetition. Here are a few reflections on what the minor prophets have to say to us today:

God doesn't tolerate sin. God judges the "foreign nations" (those not in relationship with Him), but He also chastises His own people when they believe and behave as those who are not in relationship with Him.

This is relevant to believers today as we ask ourselves whether we are agents for positive change in our culture, or whether we are being influenced negatively by a culture that does not know God. We might find the answer discouraging at times when we don't measure up. But there is a gracious balance as we see over and over as . . . [see below]

Being in relationship with God means being in a relationship of love. Hosea demonstrates this most dramatically. God shows His love in His grace and mercy, as well as in His persistence in wanting to relate to us in spite of our shortcomings and sins. God also takes the action needed to forgive and restore His people to Himself, as seen in Hosea 2:14-23. And, as God is forgiving, so should we be.

Relationship with God is also a relationship of trust, even in difficult circumstances. We cannot always see why God allows evil in this world (see especially Habakkuk), yet God gives us reasons to trust Him.

Being in relationship with God requires our response. God desires faithfulness and obedience. Faithfulness means, in part, we don't put our trust in substitutes for God (idolatry) and it also means obeying Him.
Obedience to God includes social justice (seen especially in Amos). It also includes proclaiming God's Word to all (seen especially in Jonah). We may not all be equally active in these areas, but we all have opportunities with people we know, and we can also work on a larger scale through our churches and other organizations whose mission lies in these areas.

END NOTES

1 Date of prophets' ministries taken from New Bible Commentary: 21st Century Edition (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1994), p. 628.

2 Ibid., pp. 764-65.

[ Comments ]

Author: Rich Robinson
Added: Sun, 06 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0800
Other Articles

Show Me Your ID

Sun, 06 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0800

Nowadays no one gets too far without personal identification (ID). Imagine if, rather than simply glancing at our driver's licenses or passports, people in airports, border checkpoints and even the local grocery stores actually scanned our IDs. Now imagine waiting in line for airport security finally getting to the front of the line where you watch as your ID is "swiped" only to hear the words: "Your ID is invalid. You aren't in our system."

We've all heard of identity theft, but what about identity rejection? In a way, it happens all the time. It doesn't take a bar code or a scanner for people to judge whether or not others are in their "system."

Most of us have enough of a sense of self that we know who we are without a piece of plastic or paperwork. We identify by our name, our gender, family background, marital status, network of friends, occupation, etc. We are also usually aware of our nationality, cultural heritage and, to some extent, our social standing. We each have markers to help us understand how we fit into the universe. At the same time, most people have a different set of markers to help them determine how others fit in (or don't fit in) to their sphere of influence. And the very marks of identity that let some people know "you belong here," tell others "you're not one of us."

For the child of God, there is a significant marker that should distinguish us from others in what some might find a rather perplexing way. That distinguishing mark is the love of our heavenly Father: "Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him" (1 John 3:1).

"The world" is that system (and those identified with it) that rebels against God and rejects His rightful place as Creator and Lord. We are to be in the world but not of it. We are not to love the world nor seek to be loved by the world, especially at the expense of our identification with Him.

Our identity as children of God should be cherished -- it has been issued by God Himself. But that can also be confounding because our identity is not part of the world's system. If people don't know or love Father, they won't know or love His children. So, to be known as His is to be unknown by the world in certain significant ways. Our identity can be misunderstood or viewed with suspicion by those who don't share it. We may be turned away, or treated as aliens. Sometimes we have to fight the temptation to present a different ID -- one that will be understood and accepted by the world.

In Jews for Jesus we make it a point to "wear colors" whenever we do street evangelism. By that I mean we wear T-shirts, jackets, hats or buttons that say "Jews for Jesus" or "Jesus Made Me Kosher" or some other identifying statement. When people see our colors, it often helps them decide whether or not they want to take our literature or stop to talk with us.

Frankly, we probably could hand out more literature if we didn't display our identity so prominently. Some have suggested we wear business suits instead of T-shirts, in order to appear more presentable and acceptable. But regardless of what we might be wearing, we wouldn't fit in by virtue of the fact that we are handing out gospel tracts.

Jews for Jesus are like most people -- we would prefer to blend in rather than stick out. But we've found that publically identifying with our Master and His mission does provide us with a better platform for witnessing about His love. While some don't take our tracts when they see our T-shirts, others take the literature because of them -- and some stop to talk. Many people are seeking God and have yet to know Him. It is for these people that we really do want to stand out from the crowd -- for us, it's part of being available to minister.

Of course, Jews for Jesus missionaries aren't the only ones identifying ourselves in such a visible way. My friend Steve Kaplan always wears a T-shirt that says "Jesus Loves You." And he doesn't just wear it when doing street evangelism; he wears that T-shirt practically everywhere he goes. As a result Steve is always getting into conversations about the Lord. Being so overtly identified by "Jesus-wear" may not be for everyone, but I admire Steve's boldness and tenacity, don't you?

From time to time it's good to ask ourselves, are we willing to be up front about our identity and accept the fact that "the world does not know us"? Being unknown by the world often means being rejected, even hated. But the Scripture tells us that this is a direct result of our being the recipients of the love of God.

How often have we considered the ignominy and rejection we may experience for identifying with Jesus as the direct outcome of God's great love for us? God's love is usually associated with forgiveness of sin, answered prayer and the hope of heaven. But the Bible tells us that trials and persecution can also come as a demonstration of God's love, something He has granted to His children. (Philippians 1:29) It is not that we should especially seek after those "gifts," but when they come, we need not wonder or despair. Instead, let's "behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us" and give thanks and praise to Him. What grand irony it is that because He is not known by the world, neither should we seek to be known. After all, "Like Father, like son and daughter."

So when we find ourselves "unknown" or unappreciated, together let's make it an occasion to allow the extravagant love of our Father to wash over us and encourage us to carry on and exult in our identity as His children. As often as we can and in as many ways as we can, let's show the world our true I.D. It might not take us very far with those who reject anything that's not part of "the system." But if we are willing to show that we are part of God's system, we can help make Him known to those who are seeking, to those He is calling to become His beloved sons and daughters.

[ Comments ]

Author: David Brickner
Added: Sun, 06 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0800
Other Articles

No Joke!

Tue, 01 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0800

When I saw the subject of the email, I actually thought it was a joke. I had known the sender and, while we had not been in contact for years, it was unbelievable to me that he would seriously title his email, "Can my Jewish son become a Christian?"

I would not want to embarrass him, knowing that he occasionally reads our newsletter, so I will refer to the writer of this email as "Barry."

When I first came to Southern California, Barry called our office and represented himself as a seeker. I entertained him at my home and met with him for personal Bible studies. Then I learned he was actually working with an anti-missionary organization, and far from having a personal interest in the gospel, saw our message as a threat to the Jewish community.

On one occasion, Moishe Rosen was giving a Jewish Evangelism Seminar at a Presbyterian Church in West Los Angeles. The program included dramatic skits as well as role-playing with the participants. In the late afternoon, Barry burst through the back door of the sanctuary, shouting as he stormed up to the front: "This seminar from hell is over. Everybody go home!" The congregants were stunned and a bit amused by what they assumed was another dramatic piece intended to shock them into alertness. Amusement quickly vanished as they saw us escort Barry out of the sanctuary and call for the police.

We didn't hear much from Barry after that. The last email I recall from him was in 2003, when he wrote, "You 'Jews for Jesus' are plainly fools in your war against the established Jewish community." So when I read his inquiry concerning his son, I was admittedly cynical.

I responded to that email by reminding Barry of his earlier contact and conduct towards Jews for Jesus. I wrongly assumed that his latest email was more of the same. But there is a living, loving God in heaven, and it is a thrill to see His transforming power at work.

Barry responded to my email with apologies for his past actions, taking responsibility for each one. His changed tone and question concerning his son seemed surreal, but I offered to meet with him. If God was moving in his heart, who was I to stand in the way?

We met at a coffee shop on a Sunday afternoon. Ironically, earlier that day I had ministered at the worship service of the very church where Barry had interrupted Moishe's seminar years before. I had told the pastor (who had come to serve with the church after the incident) about the meeting and asked him to pray; he was so moved by the story that he drove to the coffee shop after the service, remained in his car and prayed for us.

As I sat with Barry, I was amazed to hear how God had been working in his life. For more than a decade, this once antagonistic man had witnessed the genuine faith of two Christians at his workplace. Both had displayed amazing love for others. They prayed for Barry and demonstrated God's kindness to him.

At the same time, Barry's oldest son had become an atheist and was now hostile to his father's Orthodox Judaism. Plus, Barry was undergoing his own struggles with Orthodox Judaism in his community. "They don't believe the Bible," he remarked in profound disappointment. As a result of all these things, he was beginning to question old assumptions and open his heart to seek the Lord.

When we finished that incredible meeting, Barry came with me to meet the pastor in the parking lot. He apologized and extended his regrets to the congregation for his former intolerant and hostile behavior. Amazed, my pastor friend returned Barry's handshake and expressed appreciation for the apology. I told Barry that if he would like to attend a church where he would hear the gospel and be appreciated as a Jew, the people at this church would readily forgive and welcome him. His responded, "Would they really do that?" The pastor of that church took the opportunity to display Christian love to one who had once opposed and tried to disrupt his congregation.

Barry and I met again, some four months later. As we concluded that meeting, he asked, "Tuvya, do you think we are living in the last days?" I thought to myself: "I'm talking to Barry, the anti-missionary, about Jesus, and he's seriously interested. Yes, we must be in the last days!"

It has been more than a year now since Barry and I reconnected, and we continue to be in touch. I hope that one day he could see for himself that the gospel is true. Please join me in praying for him. Please also join me in praying for wisdom and for a way to speak to Barry's son.

I don't know the ending to Barry's story. I do know that he has inspired me to remember Y'shua's command to love and pray for those who oppose us, and to remember that God is in the business of changing hearts.

Tuvya Zaretsky, one of the original Jews for Jesus staff (actually, back then, volunteers) is our director of development. He also specializes in ministry to Jewish Gentile couples. Tuvya and his wife Ellen (also a Jewish believer in Jesus) have three grown children: Jessie, Abigail and Kaile.

[ Comments ]

Author: Tuvya Zaretsky
Added: Tue, 01 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0800
Other Articles

The Marvelous City

Tue, 01 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0800

Rio de Janeiro has been nicknamed cidade maravilhosa ("the marvelous city,") but Jews for Jesus branch leader Sergio Danon wants to show the way to an even more marvelous city: the city that has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminates it (as described in Revelation 21:23).

Sergio, a native of Rio de Janeiro, grew up in a traditional Jewish home, but both of his parents became believers when he was 16 years old. Sergio came to believe in Jesus as his Messiah four years later. He received his B.A. in Sociology and his theological training from the Semin�rio Teol�gico Betel. He was ordained and served as a pastor at Igreja Evang�lica Beit Lehem for five years before joining Jews for Jesus in May 2000. After finishing his missionary training, he returned to Brazil in April, 2002 with his wife Alexia and their children Israel (now 15) and Gabriel (12) to start our Rio branch "from scratch."

Sergio had to go into high gear almost immediately, making preparations for our Behold Your God Rio campaign in 2003, and Behold Your God Sao Paulo in 2004. Also, in 2003 the branch began their yearly outreach during Carnival, the biggest annual event in the city of Rio de Janeiro. This outreach has been growing every year.

In 2007, the Pan American Games were held in Rio de Janeiro for the first time and that was a great opportunity for another evangelistic outreach. Sergio says, "That was an essential campaign, because it gave us insight and improved our knowledge to prepare us for the coming sports events in Brazil: the Soccer World Cup in 2014 and the Olympics in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro."

In July, 2008 we moved our office to Copacabana, close to Rio's most concentrated Jewish community.

Besides our presence at the big annual events, the Rio branch, like all Jews for Jesus branches, conducts weekly direct evangelism with sorties (tract-passing expeditions), phoning, visits and a Bible study at our office. Please pray for Sergio as he relies on volunteers to help shoulder the load, that God will provide all the help that is needed.

Carnival

Our Carnival outreach is a unique challenge as our staff and volunteers are on the streets from 3PM to 4-5AM, talking to people who are open to hear about the gospel. Last year's group handed out 35,525 broadsides, received contact information from 195 seekers, of whom 25 were Jewish, and prayed with seven Gentiles to receive the Lord.

One woman walked by, received our broadside, crossed the street, and then crossed back to tell us, "Wow, I'm Jewish and I knew about Jews for Jesus in New York, but Jews for Jesus in Rio... that's crazy!" After chatting for several minutes she gave us her contact info, saying that she wants to know more about Jews for Jesus. "But really" she said, "I want to know more about Him..." And she pointed to the word "Jesus" on the campaigner's shirt.

Please pray for this year's Carnival outreach, March 4-8.

Facts about Jews and Brazil

When Pedro Alvares Cabral discovered Brazil in 1500, at least three Jewish men were present. They came because Brazil held the promise of freedom from religious persecution, which was on the rise in Spain and Portugal.

The Jewish community flourished under Dutch rule, from 1630-1654. But with the end of the Dutch colonization many Jewish people fled, fearful of the Inquisition. Some crossed to the "New World" and helped to settle New Amsterdam (New York).

The second half of the 19th century saw a resurgence of Jewish immigration to Brazil, starting with Sephardic Jews coming from the Mediterranean area, and culminating after the Second World War, with Ashkenazim (Eastern European Jews) who fled the Nazis.

Chabad, an ultra-Orthodox sect, is active in Rio, sponsoring Friday night Shabbat services. It is said that roughly a third of the attendees are young people who meet one another at the synagogue and from there go on to Rio's night life.

Estimates concerning the Jewish population in Brazil vary widely, from 120,000 to 190,000. Estimates of the Jewish population in Rio de Janeiro range from 40,000 to 70,000. The census in Brazil tends to provide the lower numbers. The option to indicate one is Jewish corresponds to religion rather than ethnicity, so many Jewish agnostics, atheists, or those who embrace other religions do not identify themselves as Jewish. Others are simply not comfortable making their Jewishness a matter of public record. Branch leader Sergio estimates that there are 50,000 Jewish people in Rio, and 80,000 in Sao Paulo, which is just 300 miles away.

[ Comments ]

Added: Tue, 01 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0800
Other Articles

Sneak Preview of Moishe Rosen's yet to be published biography...

Sun, 02 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0800

Editor's note: At the time of this writing, the manuscript is under consideration by a Christian publishing house but we hope you will keep praying that if this is not the "right door" God will guide us in the direction we should go.

From Moishe's high school days...

"When I was with Ceil, I would wonder out-loud about things, and she often had ideas to contribute. We sometimes talked about what lay beyond the stars and whether there was life on other planets, just speculating on what might be."

Though Ceil was shy and somewhat reserved, she chose choral performance classes and sought out extracurricular activities that put her in touch with school life. Unlike Moishe, who didn't care much for sports, she appreciated the social aspects of attending their school's sporting events. She was thrilled when she got accepted into the Valkyries, North High School's somewhat elite all-girl pep club. The uniformed team marched in holiday parades and performed half-time drills complete with purple and gold shakers at all of the school's football games.

Despite Moishe's disinterest in sports, he was more than willing to sit through a football game if it meant being with his girlfriend. One time, it proved more of a sacrifice than either of them had anticipated. As they walked away from the stadium after the game, someone reached out of a car window and grabbed Ceil's purple and gold shaker. Moishe reached through the window, grabbed the guy's arm and twisted it until he dropped the shaker. Before he knew it, three guys jumped out of the car; two of them held his arms while the third proceeded to use him as a punching bag.

One of the punches knocked Moishe to the ground. Satisfied that they had "won," the guys jumped back into their car, but before they could drive off, the infuriated Ceil -- who was only five foot one but pumped full of adrenaline -- snatched her shaker off the ground and used the stick end to strike the car's windshield with all her might. Whether or not Ceil succeeded in cracking the glass remained a matter of dispute (Moishe later thought that she had, but she was not so sure), but it became immediately apparent at the hospital that someone's fist had broken Moishe's nose. And it was the last time Moishe and Ceil ever attended a football game!

They took long walks by the lake, or went rowing as they had done on their first date. Sometimes he invited her on a family outing and they'd all pile into his father's big Buick on a trip to the mountains or a picnic in the park.

Within less than a year, the couple had decided they were in love. And one day, when they were sixteen, Moishe asked Ceil, somewhat casually, "You wouldn't be interested in someday marrying a guy like me, would you?" She was surprised, because they were still in high school -- but it did seem to be a logical conclusion to the relationship. So after a moment's reflection she replied, "Yeah, probably I would."

While it was not an official engagement, they both considered that some kind of proposal had been made and accepted, and from then on the couple took it for granted that one day they would marry.

[ Comments ]

Added: Sun, 02 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0800
Other Articles

Biblical Locales, Then and Now

Sat, 01 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0800

Nazareth:

Facts: Located in a high valley with a mild climate. Name may derive from natzerat, "watchtower" or netzer, "branch." Not mentioned in the Old Testament or anywhere outside of the New Testament until the second century A.D.

Then: Known for its independent views. Though it had a small population of perhaps some 200 people in New Testament times, it was not a "hick town." It was within walking distance of one of the capitals of Galilee and was also located near a trade route. Greek may have been a common spoken language.

Today: Nazareth is the largest Arab city in Israel, with a population of some 80,000.¹ Tourism is the biggest industry. The Church of the Annunciation commemorates the tradition that the divine announcement to Mary recorded in Luke 1 took place here.

Jesus' Words:"Only in his hometown and in his own house is a prophet without honor." And He did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith. (Matthew 13:54-58; see also Mark 6:1-6)

Bethlehem:

Facts: The name in Hebrew means "house of bread." There were two towns called Bethlehem: one in the area of the tribe of Zebulun (mentioned in Joshua 19:15) and the more famous one, King David's hometown, also called Bethelehem Ephrathah. The comments below are in regard to this second Bethlehem.

Then: This was the birthplace of Jesus, in fulfillment of Micah 5:2 (see Matthew 2:1-6.) In the second century A.D., the Roman emperor Hadrian expelled all Jews from Bethlehem. By then there was a local tradition that Jesus had been born in a cave in Bethlehem; Hadrian turned the cave into a shrine for the god Adonis in order to counter Christianity.

Today: Today Bethlehem is called Bayt Lahm and is predominantly Arabic. It lies in the West Bank, part of a district of 140,000 Palestinians and 8,500 Jewish settlers; Bethlehem proper has 22,000 people.² The Church of the Nativity is located there, by tradition marking the birthplace of Jesus.

Angel's and Shepherd's Words: "An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.'...When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about." (Luke 2:8-15).

Jerusalem

Facts: The city, in previous forms, dates back to the third millennium B.C. It is located in the high hills of Judah, surrounded by valleys on three sides. The name means "foundation of peace." However, since the name dates back before the time of Israel, it may have originally meant the "foundation of the god Shalem" when used among pagan peoples; the Jewish people then gave the name a "makeover" referring to peace. It is called the "city of holiness" in Isaiah 52:1, since God's Temple was located there.

Then: Jerusalem was a small mountain stronghold ruled by the Jebusites until King David captured it. It became Israel's capital and the site where Solomon built the Temple. The city and the Temple have quite a history: captured by Nebuchadnezzar in 597 B.C. and destroyed in 586 B.C.; rebuilt by the returnees under Persian rule; enlarged by King Herod into the magnificent structure it was in New Testament times; captured and destroyed by Rome in the First Jewish Revolt of 66–70 A.D. After the Second Jewish Revolt in 132 A.D., Jerusalem was rebuilt as a pagan city, dedicated to the god Jupiter Capitolinus. All Jews were excluded, unable to return until Constantine's rule in the 4th century A.D.

Today: The capital of modern Israel. After the 1948 war it was divided into East and West Jerusalem, but was reunified under Israel's control after the 1967 Six-Day War. East Jerusalem is largely Arab, West Jerusalem largely Jewish. The population has varied enormously over the centuries; as of 2008 it stood at 763,000, which includes 268,600 Arabs.³ Jerusalem is home to the largest concentration of Orthodox Jews in Israel. The Old City especially has become a tourist destination.

Jesus' Words: "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! Look, your house is left to you desolate. I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'" (Luke 13:34-35; see also Matthew 23:37-38).

Capernaum

Facts: Name means "village of Nahum." Located on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee, it is not mentioned before New Testament times.

Then: Inhabited 2nd century B.C.–11th century A.D. as a fishing village. It was destroyed by an earthquake in 746 A.D. and rebuilt to the northeast of the old spot, then finally abandoned at about the 11th century. The modern world discovered the ancient site in 1838.⁴ Rabbinic and other literature suggests that Capernaum was largely inhabited by Jewish believers in Jesus till the 4th century.

Today: Capernaum has been described as an "archaeological park."⁵ The site was utterly abandoned until the Franciscans bought land there in the nineteenth century. Today a church marks what tradition considers the place where Peter's house was located. There is also one synagogue there, but it is not a "living" city as the cities above are.

Jesus' Words: "And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to the skies? No, you will go down to the depths. If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you." (Matthew 11:23-24).

Tiberias

Facts: Established by Herod Antipas about 17-20 A.D. as a capital of Galilee. It is located on the west shore of the Sea of Galilee and was named after Tiberius Caesar.

Then: In New Testament times it was a leading center for the Zealot movement. Built on a former cemetery, it was considered unclean by pious Jews. Largely Gentile in the days of Jesus, after the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. it became the leading center for Jewish scholarship. The Mishnah, the foundational document of rabbinic Judaism, was compiled in Tiberias around 200 A.D.

Today: Tiberias is a thriving modern city of 40,000, a vacation and tourist spot, and home to a vibrant fishing industry.⁶

Incident at Tiberias: Afterward, Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Tiberias. It happened this way:
Simon Peter, Thomas (called Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. "I'm going out to fish," Simon Peter told them, and they said, "We'll go with you." So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. He called out to them, "Friends, haven't you any fish?" "No," they answered. He said, "Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some." When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish... . This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead (John 21:1-6, 14).

References:

In addition to the footnotes, the above information can be found in the New Bible Dictionary, 3rd ed.(Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996) and the Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1992) under the articles on the various cities.

Website of Nazareth Cultural and Tourism Association.
Bethelehem Municipality Website
Choshen, Maya and Michal Korach. Jerusalem: Facts and Trends 2009/2010 (Jerusalem: Jerusalem Institute for Israel Studies. 2010), p. 9.
Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs Website
Sacred-Destinations.com
GoVisitIrael.com and Tiberias Munisipal Website

[ Comments ]

Author: Rich Robinson
Added: Sat, 01 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0800
Other Articles

Bits from the Branches

Sat, 01 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0800

Odessa

Gena Gelman reports, "We conducted a visiting campaign recently, knocking on doors of people we have not otherwise been able to see. At the end of one day, Galya (my partner for the day) and I returned to an address where no one had answered previously. Unfortunately, there was still no answer. I asked one of the neighbors about the woman we were looking for, and was sad to hear that she had died. However, the neighbor told us she had a son named Jacob. She described him as a vagabond, and said it was practically impossible to find him. Galya and I left, and on the way to the car we prayed. Within five minutes we saw a man coming toward us. He was very dirty and covered with sores. His face seemed familiar. I asked, 'Are you Jacob?'

"God had brought Jacob straight to us! Not only that, I had spoken to him many times during sorties (tract-passing expeditions). Many times I had invited him to our Shabbat meeting but, until that day, he was never interested. I told him the gospel and offered to pray for him. He consented. After the prayer, Jacob said he would come to our Shabbat service -- he said that he wanted God to change his life! Praise God, Jacob did come to the service. He needed treatment for a skin condition, so I sent him to the doctor for an examination and prescription. One of the believers gave him money for medicine. I gave him bed linen. I have been conducting short visits with him, about fifteen minutes long, before Shabbat services. Please pray with me for Jacob's salvation and healing."

San Francisco

Rob Wertheim reports: "Recently, while handing out broadsides at San Francisco State University, a young man named Jesse approached and asked if I remembered him. Apparently, he had given me a hard time last year at City College (where I also hand out our broadsides). I didn't remember, but Jesse, who is Jewish, had some questions and we arranged to talk further the following week.

"When we got together, he explained that much had changed since our encounters at City College. He had read the New Testament and even visited a church with a friend. I asked him if he had ever read Isaiah 53 and he hadn't, so I asked him to do so. He read the chapter, and as soon as he finished he said, 'It's talking about Jesus!' As we concluded our visit, Jesse told me he wanted to meet up again. Please pray that Jesse will open his heart completely to the Lord."

Israel

Oded Cohen reports: "I continue to have regular Bible studies with a bright young Israeli named Ami [mentioned in November "Bits"] who is very diligent to search the Scriptures and who asks many excellent questions. He works with Christians who have stirred his curiosity. At times it seems like he is defending the faith to others, even though he does not yet fully believe. Ami was interested in attending a congregation of believers, so we took him last weekend. He enjoyed it very much. After the service, Ami went to a young adult fellowship and decided to stay, rather than get a ride home with us when we finally left at 10 pm. A couple days later, when we met for our next Bible study, he told me he had a great time and had stayed until about midnight. He also made two new believing friends, and he'd shared with everyone that he definitely believes in God, and that he is still seeking to understand who Jesus is. He told me that he no longer enjoys drinking and smoking with his old friends. He feels more commonality with these believers. They understood what he was talking about when he expressed his desire and need to thank God for the way God is becoming more and more evident in his life, helping him with small, everyday needs."

Note: In areas of great opportunity where Jewish people are open to the gospel, there is more opposition as well. Recently, Vlad Mitnitsky was handing out broadsides in front of Tel Aviv University when some Orthodox men attacked him, breaking his nose. Pray that those who saw this incident will see the difference between religion and redemption, and be drawn to Jesus.

[ Comments ]

Added: Sat, 01 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0800
Other Articles

Bits from the Branches

Sat, 01 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0800

London

Yoel Ben David reports: "I met with David after he called our office to inquire about our beliefs. David, like many young Jewish people, is not satisfied to limit his search for truth to traditional Judaism. What separates him from most other Jews his age is that he sought out Jews for Jesus as an expression of Judaism different from the main stream. He sees Jesus as genuinely Jewish. It has been a blessing to teach someone like David. Unfortunately, David believes it is up to him to determine what is right and wrong, true or untrue-which is a curse of our age! Please pray for David and others who search."

Barry Barnett writes: "God has been really opening doors, hearts and minds in the Jewish care home I visit. One of the men, Cyril, asked me how it was possible both to be Jewish and believe in Jesus. Alan overheard the conversation and joined in. We then looked at some Old Testament prophecies that point to Jesus as Messiah.

"Suddenly a third person, Moishe, interrupted, 'You don't know what you are talking about! Go and find some other victims!' But he was smiling as he said it, so I included him in the conversation as well. At this point, Phil chipped in with his two pennies worth: 'You can't be Jewish and believe in that. What does your family think?' I responded that my sister is a Jewish believer in Jesus too! Phil was surprised. We got to chatting and it turned out that Phil had once been a boxer like my grandfather, also called Phil! I was also able to witness to the lovely Leah, an extraordinarily gentle and unassuming lady. She has very little religious background, but remembers her liberal Jewish upbringing in Germany. Please pray for continued ministry to these people."

Australia

Bob Mendelsohn shares: "Josh is a 35-year-old New York Jew who wears his Yankee ball cap year round, the way some would wear a yarmulka. An economist by profession, he was recruited by an Australian firm to work in Sydney some three years ago. At the same time, God began to recruit Josh to Himself. For months he took the bus past our office/ bookshop in Bondi Junction, the recognized center of the Jewish community here. Finally one day (about eighteen months ago), he entered our shop, his curiosity piqued. 'What are you people about?' he inquired, not exactly politely ... and he was not quite ready to know.

"Ed was working and welcoming people at the shop that day. He invited Josh to Bible study that night (we meet weekly) and Josh actually returned. He and I had an intense conversation that continued over the next couple of weeks, but the only email and phone numbers he was willing to give me were work-related. Then Josh lost his job and I could not contact him. I prayed for him, but without any awareness of where he was geographically or spiritually.

"Last spring I was interviewed on Christian radio in Brisbane. I had no idea the interview was being broadcast nationally, but it turned out that Josh was listening that day in Perth, 2,700 miles from Brisbane. He rang me later that day. He apologized for dropping out of contact. He apologized for the way he had treated us when he came into Sydney, the shop, and into our lives. But more importantly, he apologized to God for his sin, and received Jesus as his Savior.

"Still a bit reluctant and unsure of the trust level, at first Josh didn't answer my e-mails. When I was traveling to Perth in September I sent him a note; I also called and left messages. Sure enough, the day before I arrived, Josh replied. He attended three of my church and Bible college meetings. We ate together. We unpacked a lot of biblical information and now Josh is fired up and seems to be growing by leaps and bounds. Josh still wears his Yankee cap and says he 'still has trust issues,' but is making strides to walk with the Master and to make a difference. How good is God?"

[ Comments ]

Added: Sat, 01 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0800
Other Articles

Full Circle

Sat, 01 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0800

Growing up in Ocean Parkway, Brooklyn, I had tremendous respect for the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community known as the Hasidim. Though they lived in a world apart from the rest of us, they had a tremendous impact on my early desire to know more about the God I prayed to every night, and even -- indirectly -- on my calling to be a missionary.

Ocean Parkway's substantial Hasidic community is separated from the area's more secular/cultural Jewish community by six lanes of traffic. As a child I hung out with my friends in the playground that was, ironically, on the Hasidic side of the dividing line, while the Hasidic kids walked to the yeshiva (religious school) that was, also ironically, on the secular side of the street. While I don't recall any interaction between the two groups as we passed each other on the street, I grew impressed with, then respectful and appreciative, of these religious boys who studied the Bible rather than going out to play. I thought that they must be very close to God and I secretly longed to be more like them -- I wanted to know God the way I imagined they did.

It was that same longing, that desire to know God personally, that eventually led me to interact with Christians years later when I was a college student -- and that's when I came to believe that Jesus is the Messiah.

In a way, it was the Hasidim who eventually led me to Jews for Jesus! It was only a year after I'd come to Jesus, and I found myself back in the center of one of the largest Hasidic communities in Brooklyn, perhaps one of the largest in the world. One day I struck up a conversation with a Hasidic man sitting next to me. We talked about the Bible, the traditions of the Jewish people, the nuances of the Talmud. Then, this Hasid turned to me and asked a very typical question: "Are you Jewish?" Without hesitation I replied that I was, but added that I also believed Jesus is the Messiah.

The friendly conversation immediately soured. His voice rising in horror, the Hasid told me that I should be ashamed of myself, that I had disgraced my family and that if I'd had a proper religious upbringing then I'd never believe such nonsense. Because I'd grown up with such admiration for the Hasidim as "people of the Book," his words hit hard and caused me to question my beliefs. Fortunately, in God's providence, that same week I met, for the first time, another Jewish believer in Jesus. After hearing my story, she introduced me to a member of her family who was a staff member at Jews for Jesus. Through my contact with them, I came to understand how I could be confident that Jesus is the Messiah of Israel.

Through my interactions with Jews for Jesus, God placed a burden on my heart to take the gospel message that transformed my life back to the Jewish people. I began volunteering with Jews for Jesus, then joined the staff upon graduation. Over the last ten years, I've served in Chicago, San Francisco and New York City. It was great to be back in New York where I met with numerous Jesus-seeking Jews as part of our Manhattan branch. I'd take them through the Bible and show them how they could believe in Y'shua Ha Mashiach and still be Jews.

Then my wife Crystal and I had a great opportunity to tour with the Liberated Wailing Wall (LWW), so we were away from New York for a year and a half. Having recently completed our tour, I decided to look up some of my old contacts, to renew our conversations and reconnect.

I came across Sam the Hasid (not his real name) in my files. He had received a copy of Campus Crusade's "Jesus" film in Yiddish, during our 2006 "Behold Your God" focused outreach to the Hasidic community (our first ever). As a result, Sam contacted our office seeking more information. Like most Hasidic people to whom we minister, Sam was cautious in talking to me, fearing what would happen if someone in his community found out. Numerous times I tried to arrange a face-to-face meeting, but it never happened. That's where we'd left off before I departed for the Liberated Wailing Wall, and I was curious to find out what had happened to him. "Why not?" I figured.

To my surprise, Sam was overjoyed to hear from me, and we set up a time to meet. In a procedure that seemed more like a CIA operation than a missionary visit, we met a week later in a discrete neighborhood in Manhattan, in his car, to discuss Jesus. To my utter amazement, Sam was absolutely convinced that Jesus is the Messiah! In the two years since we'd last spoken, he had gotten his hands on a Yiddish translation of the New Testament and read it thoroughly; in fact, he makes sure to read something from the New Testament every day.

That evening, Sam the Hasid shared with me his desire to share the gospel message with others in his community. While his desire to tell others is strong, he's concerned about losing everything he knows his family, job -- his entire community. Moreover, he fears that his faith is not strong enough to endure the overpowering resistance he would face. Sam was asking me to disciple him! I thought back to those days when, as a little boy, face pressed against the chain-link fence, I'd watch those Hasidic boys walking to yeshiva, envious of their faith and dedication ... and now I was being asked to teach one of them about Christ.

Sam and I have gotten together three times so far to study the Gospel of John. Please pray that God will use me in a powerful way to help Sam understand the wonderful truths of the Gospels. Over the years, we at Jews for Jesus have had some ministry to those in the Hasidic community, and have even seen a handful of Hasidic people come to believe in Jesus. But, so far, we have not seen any of them declare their faith to others in their community, including their own families. Please pray that God strengthens their faith and works a powerful miracle amongst the Hasidim, and that He will give us wisdom and grace as to our part.

[ Comments ]

Author: Shaun Buchhalter
Added: Sat, 01 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0800
Other Articles

Sneak Preview: Excerpted from the pre-published biography of Moishe Rosen

Sat, 01 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0800

It was still foggy, but Moishe could see the halo of lights on the bridge, forming a graceful outline of the suspension cables. I'll get to see the bridge itself on the way back, he thought, but for now I better concentrate on getting to the seminary.

The commute [went] much more quickly than he'd expected -- it wasn't even 6:30 [when] he headed up the steep road to Strawberry Point, where the Seminary nestled on a hill high above the [San Francisco] Bay.

At last the road leveled out into a parking lot. Moishe eased himself out of the rental car to search for signs of campus life, but there was no one in sight.... He could go back and wait in the car, but it was a bit cramped for someone his size, and besides, the outdoor air was pleasant. It smelled of wood and leaves and damp soil ... and it wasn't cold, not for someone accustomed to New York winters.

Spotting a bench under a streetlamp he sat down and, Bible in hand, began to pray -- not about what he would say or do for the chapel -- he was all set for that. No, as he stared out into darkness he was seeking God's direction about [his] situation in New York.

Around 7:00 am the pre-dawn darkness began fading to grey, and before long it melted away entirely before the rising sun. As Moishe continued to pray and watch, he had one of those rare experiences he would never forget. In the darkness, he'd been completely unaware that he was facing The City. Now, as the light struck San Francisco, the low-lying fog obscured only the bottom half of the city while the skyline remained, so it looked like the city was floating on an enormous cloud. The fog also reflected the bright morning sun, lighting up the buildings like nothing Moishe had ever seen. He gazed in wonder at the gloriously golden city floating before him.

Had God arranged for him to see this amazing sight as an answer to prayer?^* After all, [his boss] had agreed he could take the post in Northern California if things did not work out in New York.... The idea that this was a sign from heaven seemed too easy. Nevertheless, Moishe had been deeply moved by what he saw, and the timing seemed anything but coincidental.

Soon the fog burned off and the skyline, while still beautiful, was simply a skyline.... Moishe gave a last lingering look at The City and headed off to meet Francis Dubois, the seminary's head of missions, who was to introduce him as the guest speaker for chapel.

It wasn't difficult to find Dr. Dubois.... After exchanging a few pleasantries, Moishe began to tell the professor some of what he'd been discovering in New York -- that many hippies were open to discussing spiritual things, and that people who were protesting the war in Vietnam seemed ready to hear about the peace that Jesus could bring. Dr. Dubois nodded his head in agreement, as though he already knew what Moishe was talking about.

Dr. Dubois looked at the literature with interest. "Well, these are unique," he said, "...I'm going to introduce you to some people who've been involved in outreach to people immersed in counterculture. You'll see that what God is doing in New York, he's also doing here in the Bay Area."

...After chapel, Moishe was eager to hear more about "the Jesus Revolution." "You gotta go to Berkeley," Paul [one of the men Dr. Dubois introduced to Moishe] announced. "...These pamphlets of yours would go over great there!"

...[In Berkeley] Paul introduced Moishe to Jack Sparks, who introduced him to the Christian World Liberation Front (CWLF). Wow, these guys really are radical Moishe thought, as he heard about ministry communes, demonstrations and more. Nothing I'm doing would seem strange or off the wall to them.... [I]f he did take the transfer back to California, there'd be people he could learn from, and who could learn from him. Not only that, but Jack also introduced him to a couple of Jewish Christians.

To Moishe, all this was absolutely wonderful.... The "happening" was even greater on the West Coast than it was back east.... [and] he couldn't help wondering if [the entire day] was a confirmation of what God might have been revealing through that amazing sunrise.

End Note:
Moishe tried on three separate occasions to repeat that experience, driving up to Strawberry Point to see a sunrise, but though he did see the sun come up, he never again saw anything as spectacular as he saw that morning.

[ Comments ]

Added: Sat, 01 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0800
Other Articles

Bits from the Branches

Wed, 01 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0800

Paris

Josh Turnil reports, "Sylvie is a Jewish woman in her forties. She and her Jewish husband were married in a traditional synagogue and are raising their children as Jews. In fact, Sylvie has had little interaction with non-Jews. Then she took a summer job at a novelty shop to help out the owners, who were friends of hers. One day, a couple of Jehovah's Witnesses walked into the shop and what they said got her thinking and questioning a few things. She talked to her family about it, but they didn't seem to find the topic too interesting. One day, Sylvie's mother-in-law received a Jews for Jesus broadside tract. She gave it to her daughter-in-law and said, 'You'll like this! Maybe they have some answers for you!' Sylvie called the number on the tract and we connected. I invited her to come to the office and she prayed to accept Christ! Pray the seed of faith grows in fertile ground and that we get a chance to minister to others in her family."

Essen

Leonid Dolganovsky reports, "When our publication for Jewish seekers returned to me with a note saying the person was no longer at that address, I phoned to check our information. The man, Ilya, confirmed that he hadn't received any publications from us for a long time. He was curious about what he had missed, and asked what the last issue was about. I explained that it featured an article about Jesus and about how He was mentioned in the Kabbalah.* Ilya asked me to send him a copy of that edition. When I asked Ilya who he thought Jesus was, he said he wanted to talk to me about that after reading the publication. Please pray for Ilya."

*The article is not designed to endorse the Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism), but to engage those who are interested in it with the truth of Jesus.

Brooklyn

Jeremiah Zaretsky reports, " I was on a noon-time outreach to Williamsburg's Hassidic Jews with Anna Marie (our Manhattan office manager who has been witnessing in the Hassidic communities for several years). She was especially hoping to connect with two people whom she has been ministering to over the last few years.

At first we walked the neighborhood praying for God to direct and lead us to those individuals who were open -- whose hearts God was touching. Evangelism among Hasidic Jews requires thoughtfulness and carefulness. Approaching the wrong person or saying the wrong thing could cause a riot.

Towards the end of our time, Anna Marie stopped by to see "H," a Hasidic Jew who she led to faith after our Behold Your God Brooklyn Campaign. As she spoke with him, I engaged with a Hasidic man across the street. Surprisingly, when I told him that I believe Jesus is our Messiah, he didn't seem startled. In fact, we conversed for another few minutes about why I believe that Jesus is our Messiah.

I returned to the car and Anna Marie was already waiting for me -- but before we went home she had to see " F." " F" had come to faith just four weeks prior to the time of this writing. He had seen an evangelistic ad in the paper by Jews for Jesus and kept it for a few years before calling the number. When he called, Anna Marie answered. She had been talking to him on the phone for four years and had finally led him to the Lord, yet they had never met in person. She called " F" to tell him we were in the area. He described his location and Anna Marie told him the color and kind of car we were in as we headed in his direction, so he'd know what to look for. Finally Anna Marie asked, 'Is that you by that big truck on the corner? If that's you ...' [she asked him to make a particular gesture that we could see.] Sure enough, he did. As we drove by him, he turned and as our eyes met his we saw him smile. I will never forget that moment. After four years of ministering to him on the phone, Anna Marie finally got to see this man's face.

"F" has received a Hebrew New Testament and other literature from Jews for Jesus and says he can't stop reading! He is now encouraging us to talk to his wife about Y'shua -- please pray for her to be open to the gospel."

[ Comments ]

Added: Wed, 01 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0800
Other Articles

Christmas Warfare

Wed, 01 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0800

It never ceases to amaze me how much fighting takes place over the celebration of Christmas. Legal battles about public displays of cr�ches or Christmas trees are fodder for the news media. One of the most bizarre examples was when Jewish comedian Jackie Mason made news by standing up to stores that banned employees from wishing shoppers a "Merry Christmas." The headlines read, "Jackie Mason Saves Christmas."

Have you ever felt like you were in the middle of a skirmish just trying to find a parking place or navigating your way through the local shopping mall during the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas? It's like a battle zone out there.

Let's not forget the travel wars. I have vowed not to get on an airplane, if at all possible, between December 10 and January 1. But sometimes it is unavoidable and so I join my fellow trekkers enduring the long struggle to negotiate the overcrowded airports, airplanes, bus terminals and freeways.

Then there is the growing number of Christians against Christmas. These are the folks who assiduously renounce all things associated with Christmas due to their conviction that it is a pagan holiday. I will receive letters from some of these good people just for writing this article.

But the truth is, all these conflicts are insignificant compared to the real "Christmas warfare" dating all the way back to first-century Bethlehem of Judea. That battle deserves more attention than any of the annoying inconveniences or seasonal disagreements over traditions and their meanings. Even images of idyllic manger scenes and the beauty of carols and candlelight services can soften or sometimes even shroud our understanding of that battle. The real war -- the life and death struggle for the future of the world, of all humanity -- should never be forgotten!

We can't know the exact point in time, but December 25 is the day that a majority of Christians choose to commemorate "D-Day" in this cosmic conflict of the ages. Selecting a date can help us focus on God's holy invasion: The Creator of this world and everything in it came physically to reclaim His own, to defeat the forces of darkness and rescue every prisoner of war willing to be set free.

The Scriptures tell how the Incarnation -- the birth of Jesus Christ -- was central to the defeat of Satan and the rescue of sinners. Seeing Christmas in that light may help us push past all the other distractions and skirmishes of the season to find its deeper meaning.

I have never served in the military, but I've heard the language of warfare just by paying attention to news reports. No successful warfare is ever waged without having "boots on the ground." It is just not possible to win and hold enemy territory without physically entering into the field of conflict. It is dangerous, costly, and always necessary. That danger, that cost, is exactly what lays behind the manger so often idealized by our artists and in our culture.

God did not seek to win the battle against sin through a detached, long- distance air war. He came into the thick of the conflict in the person of Y'shua (Jesus). The Scriptures tell us that "when He came into the world, He said: '... a body You have prepared for Me ... Behold, I have come ... to do Your will, O God'" (Hebrews 10:5,7).

Jesus was not drafted into the battle. He was an all-volunteer army of one. His incarnation as a baby in Bethlehem was an act of complete and willing obedience to the Father and a demonstration of His complete love for us, His lost creation. He endured the long separation from His home in glory and from a loving heavenly Father in order to engage and defeat the enemy, the ruler of this world. Jesus paid the ultimate price in order to win that war, to win our freedom. And those of us who have been rescued by His bravery have been commissioned to continue serving as His boots on the ground. Are we willing? Are we ready?

Any successful battle plan includes clear and unambiguous objectives. What could be more dangerous or discouraging than to find ourselves in the thick of the battle, wondering why we are fighting and what got us into the war to begin with? If we are following Jesus, then our objective is the same as His: "This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners ..."(1 Timothy 1: 15).

God's battle plan was never any mystery, nor were there any hidden costs involved. Y'shua was born to die, to give His life as a ransom for many. Christmas was always about the cross. When we think of the baby in the manger do we envision the man on the cross? God did. His purpose and saving grace was clear and established "before time began" (2 Timothy 1: 9). It was spelled out in many ways throughout the book of Isaiah, which was written hundreds of years before Jesus walked the earth.

How well do we carry on the clear communication of the Word made flesh? Are we ambiguous about our objectives on this planet? There is no doubt that Jesus lived life to the fullest. The Bible tells us that He grew "in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men." He laughed, He dined, He celebrated weddings and holidays, but He never lost sight of His ultimate objective to save sinners. Neither should we.

One of the greatest problems in any campaign is a breakdown in communications. Plans fail, people die from "friendly fire" and entire battles are lost due to the confusion referred to as "the fog of war." That is why God planned and executed His invasion using only the best and most reliable communication: "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us" (John 1:14). No war is won without clear communication, and Jesus is exactly that -- God's clearest communication of truth, love and salvation to a lost and dying world. Jesus never minced words and He never obscured the truth in order to gain a greater following. His mission was paramount to any other consideration.

Yet the profound simplicity of His mission is often overlooked today. Some who misunderstand what it is to be "incarnational," have insisted that since "actions speak louder than words," any verbal witness for Christ must be preceded by demonstrations of the speaker's justice and mercy. I have heard people say that unbelievers are not interested in what we have to say until they see what we will do. I don't know whether they are speaking from their own experience, but I have to tell you, I have found many people to be interested in what we have to say, even strangers on the street corner who stop to take a tract, listen to our music or notice the writing on our T-shirts.

Please do not let anyone discourage you from giving a verbal witness on the grounds that you must first prove yourself worthy by your actions. In reality, good works and good words spring from the same place and the two go together. One is not more important than the other, nor does God tell us that they need to follow a certain order to be effective. It is His Spirit that wins hearts and it is only through His power that anything we say or do will make a difference.

God's incarnational battle plan involved the Word becoming flesh and if we are to continue to follow His strategy ourselves, we must be prepared to use our actions and our words to proclaim Him, to communicate truth with the same precision as He did. The celebration of His incarnation provides us with many occasions to take actions and to speak words of clarity concerning His mission on earth. The season offers so many opportunities for us to shine the light of His truth that pierces through the fog of war -- but only if we are willing to act and speak.

We don't often associate Christmas with warfare, but it just may be that seeing things from that perspective this year will help us to be fully engaged in God's purposes for us in this season. May we not miss a single opportunity He has for us to celebrate and make known the joy and meaning of His coming.

[ Comments ]

Author: David Brickner
Added: Wed, 01 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0800
Other Articles

Outside the Camp by David Brickner, Executive Director

Fri, 01 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0700

A pastor once told me that he appreciated the ministry of Jews for Jesus but could not invite us to speak in his pulpit. He had what he felt was a good relationship with the rabbi across the street, with an annual pulpit exchange. "I have an opportunity to be a witness through this pulpit exchange," he explained. "By inviting Jews for Jesus, I would be forfeiting that opportunity."

I carefully pointed out that his opportunity was only an opportunity if he could say something that would truly challenge his Jewish friends to consider Christ. Further, if anything he said or did ever resulted in a synagogue member coming to faith in Jesus, those pulpit exchanges would probably come to a screeching halt. Sadly, I don't think that pastor was willing to give up the notion that friendship with the rabbi was somehow a prerequisite to evangelism and the fulfillment of his Christian duty.

Many Christians today seem to think that gaining the acceptance of unbelieving Jewish people is the way to gain a platform for the gospel. Unfortunately, things usually do not work out that way.

Some people speak about "earning the right" to witness. While it seems like a humble thing to say, many people fail to see how that statement contradicts Scripture. The Bible teaches that proclaiming the gospel is an obligation to be fulfilled, not a right to be earned. The idea that people must accept us before they can accept Y'shua (Jesus) can actually become a subtle kind of pride that we fail to recognize in ourselves and our fellow believers.

We hear much about relational or "friendship" evangelism, but the Bible says "...Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God" (James 4:4, emphasis added).
I'm not saying we should treat unbelievers like enemies, nor should we be "unrelational," unfriendly or rude! Nevertheless, when we make friendship with unbelievers our first priority, Jesus gets short shrift.

Few Christians intend to shunt Jesus off to the side. Most who never quite get around to giving a clear cut gospel message don't even realize they are sacrificing their gospel witness on the altar of human acceptance.

Once, when I was speaking at a church, a woman approached me after the service. She was pleased to inform me that her roommate and best friend in college was Jewish, and that she had maintained their friendship over many years. When I asked if she ever talked to her friend about Jesus, she responded, "Oh no, I'd be too afraid of offending her." I affirmed her desire to remain friends but suggested, "Perhaps what you fear even more than offending her is the possibility that she might reject you." I'm afraid that woman took offense at my suggestion but I had to do what she was not willing to do: risk being rejected for the sake of an important truth -- a truth more important than my being liked or accepted.

It is easy to allow ourselves to believe that our silence is out of respect for those who might disagree with us. It is easy to see our motivation as noble, especially when we see our ultimate intention as positioning ourselves to be a better witness. But unfortunately, too often those intentions come to nothing, and we need to face the truth that sometimes our tact and our long-term intentions are merely masks that cover our natural fear of rejection and our reluctance to position ourselves where God really wants us: in a place of vulnerability.

We need to be honest about our own hesitation to witness, and we need to be realistic about this matter of offending others. God wants us to be loving and humble when we tell others about Him. Yet even the most inoffensive manner cannot guarantee that people will not take offense at what we have to say. Ultimately, people decide the basis on which they will or will not be offended, and sometimes taking offense is their best defense against the gospel.

There is much talk about the virtues of our pluralistic society. From a worldly perspective, tolerance is the greatest good. But today's society has twisted the meaning of tolerance, making it practically synonymous with relativism. True tolerance is treating people decently regardless of how they may differ from you. The false tolerance demanded by today's society requires that you accept all beliefs as equally true, or if you can't do that, you keep quiet about it. The suggestion that someone else's religious belief might not be true is wrongly labeled as intolerance. If someone believed she could take a street that only runs east and west to go north, would it be intolerant for someone else in the car to suggest a turn? No. Yet, when it comes to spiritual matters, the world insists on a degree of relativism that would spell disaster were we to apply it to the physical realm.

The Christian belief that Jesus is the only way of salvation is perceived as intolerance, even bigotry by the world's standards. So the pressure is on us to compromise our strong stance and conviction in order to gain some acceptance, in order to avoid being marginalized by the unbelieving world. Yes, we live in a pluralistic society, but pluralism means that everyone has a right to express his or her own opinion. It doesn't mean that everyone's or no one's opinion is true.

Whenever we proclaim that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life, the inference is that all other ways are false, and therefore those who trust anyone or anything other than Jesus for salvation are mistaken. You don't have to tell people they are wrong; the message itself pronounces them wrong. This will always be viewed as intolerance by those who don't believe. And those who are considered intolerant can expect to be rejected. That is why the idea that we must be accepted by those whom we wish to evangelize doesn't work.

Many Jews have risked alienation from family and friends to follow Jesus. We have been ostracized by the wider Jewish community because we have embraced the One who was despised and rejected of men. But we have discovered that He is worth it! "Remember the word that I said to you, 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also" (John 15:20).

Perhaps you see why we are so disheartened by Christians who seek acceptance within the Jewish community at the expense of a forthright testimony. It's as though the very people who should stand with us and encourage us that we are right to suffer rejection for Christ's sake are telling us just the opposite by their actions. They want to stand apart from us to avoid being rejected by association and sadly, many don't want to stand up for the gospel for the same reason. More and more organizations represent themselves as gospel ministries to the Jewish people and receive funding from evangelical Christians -- yet they are busily building friendships, not proclaiming the gospel. Are they true friends of my Jewish people? Not if they don't make sure they've heard God's plan of salvation. They have gained acceptance at the expense of Christ and at the expense of people who are perishing without Christ.

As a Jew for Jesus, I know that I will be treated as He was treated -- accepted by those who accept Him and rejected by those who do not. While it is natural to desire acceptance, there is a sweet fellowship in risking rejection for Y'shua's sake. He understands rejection firsthand and His comfort comes from experience.

The author of Hebrews was writing to a group of first century Jewish believers in Jesus who stood at a crossroads. They had suffered rejection and persecution to the point where they were tempted to turn their backs on the Lord. They needed to be encouraged and challenged to endure and be faithful. They needed to hear, "...Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate. Therefore let us go forth to Him, outside the camp, bearing His reproach" (Hebrews 13:12-13).

That call is as real today as it was in the first century -- and it speaks to all Christians, not only to those of us who are Jewish. Yet many believers are trying to point to Christ, who is outside the camp, without having to leave the camp (be rejected) themselves. We must not be ashamed to beckon to unbelievers -- friends and family, neighbors and business associates -- from outside the camp, inviting them to forsake the world for the priceless gift of salvation.

If we belong to Jesus, we must bear His reproach. We can choose to bear it as a burden or as a badge of honor. Pray with us that more Christians will be ready to risk the rejection of Jewish people here and now in order to forge friendships that will last an eternity. And thank you for being among those who are willing to stand with us and bear the reproach of Christ as a badge of honor.

[ Comments ]

Author: David Brickner
Added: Fri, 01 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0700
Other Articles

A Holiday Reflection: New Beginnings, by David Brickner, Executive Director

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Why celebrate new beginnings? They create a sense of wonder and anticipation of what might be. New beginnings are promising; they give us something to look forward to. Yet they also help us reflect on the past, to thank God for the goodness we have experienced by His hand and to turn from past attitudes and actions that have displeased Him.

New beginnings are paradoxical. They make us joyous yet solemn. They propel us forward and at the same time they cause us to pause. That is because embarking on a new venture includes assuming responsibility, taking stock of what needs to be done and committing ourselves to a course of action. There is an appropriate sense of obligation in beginning anew, and shouldering responsibility produces sober thoughtfulness as we consider the consequences of our commitments.

Sundown, September 8 marks Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, when we, along with our fellow Jews will mark the beginning of the New Year 5771.

Rosh Hashanah is a joyous time of celebration and at the same time a season of reflection and solemnity. The blast of the shofar calls us to humble ourselves and recognize our need for God's grace. This is apparent in some of the traditions associated with the festival. Jewish people greet one another by saying, "L' shanah tova tikatevu," which means, "May your name be inscribed for a good year." The "inscribing" refers to the Book of Life, which according to Jewish tradition, closes ten days later as the Day of Atonement comes to an end.

We Jews for Jesus know that our names have been forever inscribed in the Lamb's Book of Life, written indelibly in His own blood. Nevertheless, we choose to look back and reflect, not only on the past year, but also all the way back to the launching of Jews for Jesus 37 years ago this month.

Forgive me if I seem to be boasting, but if I am, let me boast in what the Lord has done. Frankly, God used Moishe Rosen and a small band of committed believers to change the course of Jewish missions. Never again will the informed, honest observer see Jewish evangelism as a futile enterprise. Under God, we have overcome fortified defenses and have cut through the barbed wire objection: "Jews don't believe in Jesus." Jewish leaders can no longer say that with credibility. Our very existence proves the objection false by declaring, "We are Jews for Jesus, now you must reckon with us." We have received an enormous legacy from the Lord through Moishe Rosen, and I for one am deeply, deeply grateful.

Our victories are the Lord's victories, and they have brought joy to our staff and to our supporters. And while we work hard to do the ministry, we have fun along the way. God has called us to a weighty task, and we take the gospel very seriously, but we have learned not to take ourselves too seriously.

Moishe illustrated this principle in a way that surprised and delighted me. Shortly after I was elected executive director, we held a consecration service. Many who took part in the service offered me sobering admonitions.

Moishe took his turn, saying he didn't have a mantle to give me except his parking place at headquarters, the executive office and the staff. But he did want to bestow a symbol of authority, and he felt it should be something that had belonged to him during his tenure as executive director. We waited in suspense as Moishe described how he had pondered what he might give. He felt it should not only help me face my new responsibilities but, if the Lord tarries, he wanted something that will someday also help my successor. Finally, he reached into his pocket and pulled out something that someone had given him long ago -- a shiny, gold-plated yo-yo.

He proceeded to explain that while a yo-yo is a fun toy, it also illustrates some key principles. For example, the yo-yo can only function when it is in the hand of its master. In order for a yo-yo to work, it must be in motion. Sometimes that motion is downward, but the harder the yo-yo goes down, the quicker it comes back up into the palm of the master's hand. The lessons of the yo-yo are helpful when dealing with the ups and downs of leadership and life in general.

Nevertheless, during this time of new beginnings, we Jews for Jesus must address the serious side of reflection as well. We are grateful for our tremendous past, we are hopeful for a great future, but we recognize more than ever the need for God's grace and wisdom as we move ahead.

We dare not gaze at our past through rose-colored glasses. We have made our fair share of mistakes. It is important to learn from those mistakes and to prayerfully seek God's grace to strengthen weak hands and feeble knees. My prayer for the new year and my prayer for Jews for Jesus is that our staff reconsecrate ourselves. May we be marked by a new level of holiness unto the Lord in our personal lives and in our ministry service.

We must never compromise the quality of our commitment. We must not allow ourselves to be shaped by the weakness of the flesh or the standards of the world. We must be clay in the hands of the Master Potter who will glaze us in the kiln of fiery adversity so that we resist being shaped by the forces of society.

More than ever, I would ask that you pray that God would grant us the strength to be and do all that God wants.

Jews believe in an annual judgment day. The blast of the shofar at Rosh Hashanah is a call to repentance, but for those of us who know Christ, it reminds us of His return. "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first" (1Thessalonians 4:16).

God has called us to sound off, to call our Jewish people to reflect on eternal matters. We do not know how much time we have before the Lord returns. It will be a day of alarm to those who do not believe, and so we must redouble our efforts, we must be prepared to make new sacrifices. We must be prepared to go to new places and learn new things so that more people will hear before it is too late.

One thing that I can promise you for the new year: I will strive for excellence in proclaiming the gospel. But it is not mere striving that will enable us to maintain our standards of excellence, and so I ask once again that you join with us in asking for God's grace because "we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us" (2 Corinthians 4:7).

[ Comments ]

Author: David Brickner
Added: Wed, 01 Sep 2010 00:00:00 -0700
Other Articles

A Tale of Two Kings and Two Betrayals by David Brickner, Executive Director

Sun, 01 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Act One

There once was a King who loved God with all his heart. Yet he was far, very far, from being a perfect King. In his anger he shed the blood of many men. In his lust he defiled himself with women. In his shame he hid his sin in deceitfulness and treachery. God loved this King very much, but being just, He would not spare him from the consequence of his choices. A conspiracy was laid against the King. His friend and most trusted advisor provided the counsel that helped lead to his defeat. The King was deposed from his throne by his own son, humiliated before all of his subjects and fled the capital city in disgrace.

But the King still loved God, and it was he, and not his son, who had been chosen to rule. In his pain the King cried out, "Even my own familiar friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted up his heel against me." And being a clever man, the King prayed to the Lord to turn his trusted advisor's counsel into foolishness. Then the King secretly sent a second advisor back to the city to defeat the counsel of the most trusted advisor who was betraying him.

This most trusted advisor had such great ability that people considered his advice to be "like the voice of God." He counseled the King's son to shame his father in every way possible and to pursue his father immediately after, so that he might capture and kill the King while he was vulnerable. But the second advisor who had been sent secretly from the King recommended waiting to attack until later. To the surprise of many, the King's son accepted the advice of the second counselor rather than the one most trusted. Thus the King was able to escape unharmed. So distraught was the King's former friend and advisor that the son had rejected his counsel that he left the city, went home and hanged himself.

Act Two

There once was a King who loved God with all his heart.

He was a perfect King in every way. He cared deeply for all of His subjects, especially the poor and the downtrodden. He fed the multitudes and healed the sick. He did not look to be served but to serve, and to give his life for many. God loved this King very much, but being merciful He would not spare the King from the consequences of the sin of those he intended to save. A conspiracy was laid against the King. The King's friend and official treasurer provided the information that led to his arrest, trial and eventual execution.

But the King was a wise and courageous man. Even though he knew that his treasurer planned to betray him, the King entrusted himself to God and continued to keep his treasurer close, in his inner circle. He knew that the coming betrayal had been predicted and was the will of God. The King invited his treasurer along with his other close friends to a final meal together. During the meal the King informed everyone that there was a traitor in their midst. Then the King said that the prophecy must be fulfilled, 'He who eats bread with me has lifted up his heel against me.' And he handed his treasurer a piece of bread.

When the treasurer received that piece of bread, the evil plan he had in his heart took hold of him completely. He left the circle of friends and found those who were conspiring against the King. For a small sum of money he agreed to lead them to the spot where the King and his friends were heading. In that secluded spot, where the King was most vulnerable, the treasurer betrayed him with a kiss. The conspirators captured the King and led him away but his treasurer soon grew remorseful for his treachery. In despair he went and flung the blood money at the feet of the King's conspirators. Then he left the city and hanged himself.

Epilogue

By now you probably realize that both these acts tell of true tales based on the Scriptures. The kings are David and Y'shua; the betrayers are Ahithophel and Judas Iscariot (2 Samuel 15:1-37, 17:1-29; Psalm 41:7-9; John 13:1-38, 18:1-11). The parallels between these two stories were divinely orchestrated as Messianic prophecy and fulfillment so that we might understand God and His purposes more clearly.

Many other parallels between King David and King Jesus appear in the Psalms. Sometimes these prophetic passages function like a telescope, whereby events in the life of David are amplified, going far beyond his own circumstances to fit and foretell the life of Jesus. Looking at these events, like seeing through a telescope, magnifies certain things that David experienced to encompass the far larger plan of God for the future coming of Christ.

At other times the Psalms function like a microscope; we are allowed to peer more closely at an aspect of David's life that reflects a very specific event or interaction that will also take place in the future life of Messiah. Such is the case in this tale. The Messianic prophecy of Psalm 41:9 is a very focused reflection of the parallels between the betrayals of David and Jesus. They have similarities as well as differences. As we compare and contrast these events, they teach us not only about the lives of the two kings, but about our lives as well.

In Psalm 41:4 David prays, "LORD, be merciful to me; heal my soul, for I have sinned against You." Whereas David was aware of his failings and sins, the Messiah Jesus is perfect in every way. In fact, it was because our perfect Savior was betrayed and crucified that we can find healing for our souls and forgiveness for sins.

In Psalm 41:10 David reacts to his betrayers by asking God, "raise me up, that I may repay them." But when Jesus hung on the cross He cried out, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34).

Perhaps you have faced seasons and situations where you experienced deep betrayal or abandonment by someone you once trusted. If so, you are not alone. Many people experience similar pain at some point in life. When faced with such situations, we can identify with the pain that both kings endured. More important, we need God's grace to respond as did King Y'shua. His confidence in God's plan and God's Word was so certain that He was able to hand the bread of betrayal to Judas so that the Scripture might be fulfilled.

Likewise, even in the darkest of circumstances we can trust in the promises of God's Word so that we can confidently declare with both kings: "As for me, You uphold me in my integrity, and set me before Your face forever. Blessed be the LORD God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting! Amen and Amen" (Psalm 41:12-13).

[ Comments ]

Author: David Brickner
Added: Sun, 01 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0700
Other Articles

An Important Word from Our Board Chair, Dr. Jim Congdon...

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Because your trust is important to us, I wanted to communicate directly regarding an unprecedented situation. At our regular meeting on June 18, the Jews for Jesus board of directors voted to retain David Brickner as executive director -- despite an impending divorce by his wife of 30 years. Rest assured, this was no hasty decision by the board.

The Bible tells us that God hates divorce. According to our worker's covenant, David offered his resignation in March, after his wife informed him of her intent to dissolve the marriage against his strong wish to remain together. The board chose to postpone accepting or rejecting his resignation, as organizational policy states that a staff member may remain, "when a believing partner was abandoned in the marriage or divorced against his or her will." Instead, we appointed a committee to conduct an internal review to ascertain the facts of the situation and needs of all involved, putting into motion a rigorous process to seek God's will for our ministry.

After a careful review, the board determined that David Brickner did everything he could to save his marriage -- including going immediately to his pastor, seeking marital counseling, and even offering to leave the ministry -- all to no avail. This was confirmed by his wife Patti, who also attested to the fact that David has been a good and loving husband and wonderful father and is not to blame for the circumstances surrounding her decision, which do not reflect on his character or treatment of her.

The board is confident in our decision that David is still God's man and the best person to meet the needs and biblical imperatives for his unique position. We stand beside him in unanimous support of his calling to continue leading Jews for Jesus, as he has so capably done for the past 14 years. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Brickners at this time. David is currently one month into a two-month leave of absence to devote more time to personal matters.

The Bible is full of stories of people who overcame personal setbacks to accomplish great things for Christ. We are convinced that this will be the case with David.

The Jews for Jesus family remains determined to move forward in the work of Jewish evangelism. Please pray for our ministry as we continue a mission that is challenging in the best of times. With your prayers, support and understanding, we feel we just might be on the verge of a great breakthrough for the cause of Christ.

Added: Mon, 26 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0700
Other Articles

Bits from Behold Your God ISRAEL

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0700

These are just a few highlights from the first few days of the Sharon campaign, which began the day after Moishe's homegoing.

Casey, one of our American campaigners, told Oded, one of our Israeli staff, that she was feeling ineffective as most people seemed to be uninterested and closed to the gospel. Oded reminded her that God had brought her to this campaign and she could trust Him. Within the next five minutes, Casey began witnessing to an English-speaking shopkeeper. When she had explained the gospel, he indicated that he believed and wanted to pray to receive the Lord. Casey couldn't believe it, and explained the gospel again. The shopkeeper insisted, "I want Mashiach now!" So she prayed with him. Afterward she reviewed the gospel yet a third time -- and he brought her into his store to introduce her to the other employees, asking her to give them literature.

Heather was with a team in Herzylia. They were handing out leaflets near a club, asking people, "Do you know who Jesus is and do you know what He did?" One young woman left her place in the line outside the club to come and talk. Heather explained the gospel and told her what it meant to receive Y'shua (Jesus) as Lord and Savior. When she invited the girl to repent of her sins and surrender her life into Y'shua's hands, the girl said she wanted to do so. As they started to pray, about five of the girl's friends came to drag her back into the crowd. Heather followed after and heard the friends laughing and mocking. She told the girl who'd begun to pray, "God cannot be mocked. Do you really want to do this?" The girl replied, "They are mocking, but I really want to do this," and together they finished the prayer.

Tuvya began witnessing to a couple of men on the beach at Herzylia. They were cynical and angry about the fact that as homosexuals they were hated and have suffered at the hands of religious people. As Tuvya patiently persisted, one of the guys asked him, "Are you happy?" Tuvya responded, "No. Happiness comes and goes. In fact today I am grieving for the death of a friend." The man appreciated Tuvya's transparency, and Tuvya went on to explain that believers in Jesus have hope and a foundation of joy in life. He also pointed out that although Jewish believers in Y'shua are treated like second-class citizens, we are glad to come tell people about real joy in life. The demeanor of both mean profoundly changed. They didn't give any contact information, "But," Tuvya said, "I have no doubt that they were both deeply moved by the power of the living God. It was a very spiritual moment."

Heather shared the gospel with a Jewish grandfather. After she explained the gospel, he said, "How can I come to Y'shua? She said, "First you must believe he died for your sins. Do you believe he died to be a kapporah (atonement) for your sins?" He said, "Yes." She went on to explain, "This is a covenant between you and the almighty God based on what Jesus did. In order to come to the Lord Jesus, you must repent and ask for forgiveness of your sins. Then you must ask Jesus to come into your heart and begin a new work in your heart. Do you want to do this?" The man prayed with her and then said, "My life is totally empty. I have two cars, two houses and I eat steak, but I am empty. When I was saying the prayer, I felt something happening to me. What must I do now?" Heather promised to send him more information, encouraged him to go to a congregation and told him that someone would contact him to help him grow in his faith.

For more details on the Behold Your God campaign that took place in May, see the June edition of RealTime.

[ Comments ]

Added: Thu, 01 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0700
Other Articles

Bits from the Branches

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Israel

Yarden Nasser reports, "In our previous Galilee campaign, Helena had seen our newspaper ad, ordered our Y'shua book and surrendered her life to Him. After a short time, however, she went astray because of pressure from friends and family. She was reluctant to get back to fellowship with other believers, fearing that people would judge her. She is very young, she loves Y'shua and relates to him personally, but was not rooted in the Scriptures, so I challenged her to study them.

"My husband Peter and I remained in touch, inviting Helena to our home for Shabbat dinners and seeing her occasionally when we were in the area visiting family. She became dear to us. She wrote to me a few months ago and shared that she was struggling. I continued to keep in touch and pray for her.

"I recently called Helena to see how she was. 'You wouldn't believe what happened -- God saved me from death!' she exclaimed. She had been sitting on a bus and decided to get up and stand in the aisle. Minutes later, a deadly crash occurred. The seats where she had been sitting were crushed and five people who had been sitting in those seats were killed. Helena had a concussion, but was otherwise unharmed.

"Thanks be to God that Helena recognizes it was the Lord who saved her life. Please pray that she will respond with greater trust in Him, and that the Lord will continue to use me to impart His wisdom and stability to her life."

Germany

Avi Snyder reports, "While handing out broadside tracts in Essen, I spotted a woman sitting on a railing beside a pool in the midst of a path for pedestrians. She rocked a baby stroller with one hand and absent-mindedly stroked the surface of the pool of water with the other. I walked over to her and offered her a tract. 'May I ask you a question?' I said. She looked up silently, waiting for me to say more. 'Do you have an opinion about Jesus?' I asked. 'Who do you think He is?'

"'Sometimes I think He's real,' she replied. 'Sometimes I don't. Mostly I don't know.'

"'Well,' I said, "I know He's real. I know He's the Messiah of my people and the Saviour of the world who died for all of our sins and then rose from the dead.' I went on to explain the gospel to her in a few simple sentences, and then asked, 'Do you think that what I've told you might be true?'

"She shrugged sadly. 'You just can't know.'

"'I think you can,' I said. 'We just have to ask.'

"'I asked,' she said. 'Long ago. He never answered.'

"Softly, but boldly, I offered, 'Yes, He has. I think He sent me to answer you.'

"Teresa gave me her name and address so that I could send her more information. And as we talked further, I discovered that she's already in touch with a Christian couple from a strong church in Essen – a church that has helped us much. It's clear that the Lord is pursuing Teresa, even if she feels that He's been slow to answer. Please pray that she'll give her heart to Him in His perfect timing.

Los Angeles

Cyril Gordon reports: "While handing out broadsides at Venice Beach, I met Gerry, a Jewish believer in Jesus. He sent me over to talk to Dror, an Israeli vendor who has been opening his heart to the Lord. Dror informed me that he only started reading the Bible recently because Gerry agreed to teach him how to snowboard -- if he would attempt to read the Bible. Dror has been amazed (and so have I) by what God has been showing him about Jesus in just three months of reading the Bible, and now his brother is reading as well. At this point, Dror believes that Jesus is Messiah and Son of God, but has problems seeing him as God in the flesh. Please pray for the Lord to give Dror a divine revelation of the person of Jesus. His brother is also willing to get together with me. I'd like to involve Ofer, one of our Israeli staff, if possible. Ofer just moved to Southern California to study."

[ Comments ]

Added: Thu, 01 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0700
Other Articles

Bits from the Branches

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Chicago

Micha Cohen reports, "I am always grateful to see how our God is mighty to save, often 'behind the scenes.' He never slumbers nor sleeps and does not lose touch with those we think we have lost!

"A man called our office and told me that he is in an interfaith marriage. He said that his wife was not pushing him to explore Jesus, but he was just interested himself! He grew up in New York City and laughed when he heard that we share the same last name. He said he was glad to hear from another Cohen in Chicago.

"Ten days later I called him again and he agreed to meet at our office the following Thursday. But he soon called back saying he had time to come to the office that very day instead. We met and read Isaiah 53 together and he agreed that it sounds like Jesus. I talked about our need for atonement and he understood the concept. I asked if he was ready to receive God's offering of forgiveness through Jesus, and he said not just yet, but he was glad enough for me to pray for him to find the truth. I told him about our Tuesday night Bible study and about the Saturday services at the congregation where I attend.

"Over the next few months I tried to call Mr. Cohen and left a number of messages on his machine. I was sad that he didn't respond, especially since he'd seemed so open. I prayed God would soften his heart and draw him to the truth with or without me.

"Months later I called again, expecting him not to answer as had been the case for a long time. When he did answer, I praised God for the chance to talk with him, but when I heard what he had to say I had much more reason to praise Him! Freddy said that he and his wife are now attending a local Messianic congregation! He also told me that he has completed reading through the Old Testament and is now starting to read through the New Testament. He allowed me to pray for him on the phone, and said that while he does not yet fully believe, he believes he is now heading in the right direction!

I praise God that even when I haven't been able to connect with someone, it doesn't mean God is not working in his heart to draw him to His loving grace!

Washington, D.C.

Larry Dubin reports, "John had been reared in the metropolitan area of New York City. When, via television, he witnessed the destruction of the World Trade Center from his office in Washington, D.C., his world was turned inside out.

"John's supervisor was a Bible-believing, Jesus-loving, Spirit-filled man. He realized the great distress that had descended upon John and spoke to him about Jesus. For the first time in his life, John heard the "Good News" of the Bible. He was a new creation in Christ by the time that sun set that day.

"I met John two months later. He agreed to meet with me every week to study the Word of God. The challenge for John and me was boiled down to one word: obedience. How does a man with approximately forty years of life go from ignoring God to obeying him in every aspect of his life and character? John struggled with the idea that he needed to be "obedient" to the commands of the Bible. He wanted to receive the parts of the Bible that he liked and he wanted to discount the part of the Bible that he did not appreciate.

"Yet he met with me weekly to study the Word of God. We used a workbook that required an hour a day of Bible study. The struggle was great! The discipleship process continued for a period of almost two years and then John moved to a different part of the world. For almost six years, my only contact with him was our four times a year telephone calls. John continued to remind me of the lessons that he learned as a young believer.

"During our last conversation, John informed me that he was completing a degree program at a local seminary. He intends to enter into a full-time vocational ministry because he wants to teach others how to become disciples of Jesus. God is in the process of finishing the good work that he started in John's life!"

Added: Thu, 01 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0700
Other Articles

Bits from the Branches

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0700

New York

Stewart Weinisch reports, "Harold was one of the first people I called as a missionary with Jews for Jesus. His Christian wife, Denise, answered the phone and saw from the caller ID that I was from Jews for Jesus. When I asked to speak to Harold she replied, 'He doesn't want to speak with you. He is hostile towards Jesus.'

"'That's alright,' I said, 'I would like to speak with him anyway.' Denise said she'd pray about me speaking with Harold in the future and leave it in God's hands.

"A week later, I had my first phone contact with Harold. As predicted, he was annoyed. I told him, 'I'll call you again next week.' He didn't object so I called the following week. Harold wasn't available. I continued calling each week until I reached him. It wasn't much of a conversation. I introduced myself and said, 'I would like to have a conversation with you.' His surprising response was, 'That would be good.' We set up a time to talk.

"When Harold and I finally did talk, it became apparent that he was seeking truth. I shared God's promise from Jeremiah 29:13 'And you will seek me, and find me, when you search for Me with all your heart.' I challenged Harold to make this verse a personal prayer.

"As I met with Harold in the following weeks, he was seeing answers to his questions from the Scriptures. By the time I shared the gospel with him, he was ready to receive Jesus. After we prayed I asked him to explain what he just did. With great confidence Harold announced, 'I received Jesus as Messiah and He took my sins away.' I told Harold it was important to tell somebody about this and he wanted to tell his wife. I was thrilled. Over the next few weeks Harold also told each of his four children. All were ecstatic; they had all been praying for him.

"I continue to speak with Harold weekly. He is always excited and I sense God's power and presence upon him. The goodness of God has filled this household."

Los Angeles

Holly Meyer reports, "In May of 2009, Leslie left a phone message with our Jews for Jesus office in Los Angeles. When I returned her call I was delighted to hear that she was very open to hearing more about Y'shua. At that point, Leslie was discouraged about various problems, but amidst her troubles she'd been tuning in to Christian T.V. programs almost daily. She had not yet embraced Jesus as her Messiah, but she clung to every word she heard.

"I offered to pray for several needs that she mentioned. The next day Leslie called me with tears of joy. An hour after we prayed for her back, the pain left. I explained that there is power in the name of Y'shua (Jesus) and that He answered our prayer.

"I suggested that we meet in person, but Leslie didn't know how to fit that into her schedule. We kept in touch by phone and e-mail several times a week. Over time she acknowledged that she was a sinner and was being drawn to Y'shua, but wasn't yet ready to fully entrust her life to Him.

I invited Leslie over for Shabbat dinner a number of times and finally, she came! It was so nice to speak face to face. Afterwards, she came with us to our Messianic congregation. Leslie liked parts of the service but didn't agree with everything she heard.

We continued our phone conversations about Jesus, always ending with prayer. Then Leslie called to tell me about a dream she'd had: Jesus was speaking calmly to her as she was getting a blood transfusion. All of her bad blood was being replaced by Jesus' perfect blood. I explained to Leslie that though she understood intellectually who Jesus was, she still needed to receive what He had done for her. His blood atoned for our sins and when we receive him into our heart we are cleansed: out with the old and in with the new! With that Leslie was ready to profess Y'shua as her Messiah, confess her sins to God and be cleansed. She was so happy and so was I. I'm also happy to say that Leslie reads her Bible and continues to grow in her young faith. Please keep her in prayer.

[ Comments ]

Added: Thu, 01 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0700
Other Articles

Bits from the Branches

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Montreal

Karl de Souza reports: "We are still seeing fruit from the Yiddish Jesus video we mailed into the Montreal ultra-Orthodox community in 2007. A Jewish woman named Ruth* recently called the branch, and I met with her and her husband in downtown Montreal. They had both been born into Hassidic families, but the husband, Jonathan,* is more of a free thinker. He kept telling me that his community was missing something. They watched our Yiddish Jesus film and another video about Jesus, then they looked us up on the Internet. They also read some of the New Testament, though the language was difficult for them. (They speak basic English but Yiddish is their first language.) Finally they made the phone call to talk in person. They are very open to getting a Yiddish New Testament. They are also open to contact from a Messianic congregation."

Geneva, Switzerland

Stephen Pacht reports: "I recently had one of the most exciting times of my 20-plus years as a missionary, thanks to a wonderful Christian couple who have been attending a monthly gathering of Jewish people in a private home near Geneva. They have been part of this group for five years, as the only Christians in attendance. The host had been drawn to them because of their love for Israel and warmth towards Jewish people.

Thanks to the witness of this couple the themes have become more spiritual and over the last year they have been asked to speak twice, once on 'Why the Jews said no to Jesus' and another talk on the difference between Judaism and Christianity. And I was invited to attend as well.

On the night I attended, after the guest speaker had given his talk, the host asked me to introduce myself, my faith and Jews for Jesus. He then invited questions. He then asked if I would be the guest speaker at a subsequent gathering! I sensed in him and others a real yearning for spiritual truth. Please pray for God's continued work in this group."

London

Yoel Ben David reports: "While Adel and I were house-hunting in Stanmore, North London, I stopped for lunch at a local establishment wearing my Jews for Jesus shirt. Before the food had been brought to the table, a Jewish man named Dean approached to ask me what we were all about because he had seen my shirt! One hour (and a plate of chips) later, Dean had heard the gospel and was ready to meet again to discuss it further. Please pray for Dean's salvation."

Israel

Oded Cohen reports, "I called Ami* to see if he received the Y'shua book we had sent. He not only had received it but also thanked me, and asked many questions about our faith and what it means to believe in Jesus. Ami works at a hostel with Christian volunteers who attend Messianic congregations on the Sabbath. This made him curious. He also watched a video/propaganda piece about a rabbi who convinced a struggling new Israeli believer to abandon his faith. However, Ami didn't know the rest of the story -- that this new believer had returned to his faith in Jesus. I sent him the whole story and it reaffirmed his seeking heart. I also encouraged Ami to seek the truth for himself by examining what God says.

Ami is so open; he is searching the Scriptures daily, and emailing me many excellent questions. Please pray for Ami to come to a saving knowledge of our Lord."

Bimini Cohen (Oded's wife) reports, "I called Ester, who said she didn't have time to read the Y'shua book we sent, or to meet with me, as she was too busy seeking work. I asked if I could pray for her over the phone, and she gladly agreed. Right after I prayed for her, she said, 'Could we get together?' So we met that week and I shared with her how I came to know Jesus as my Messiah and Savior, and how He healed my broken heart. Tears filled her eyes as she shared some of her disappointments and struggles. I called the following week, and she said, 'I need to see you.' When we met, I was so surprised to see a lightness in her face and a sparkle in her eyes. She is asking God for provision as well as help with understanding the Scriptures we are studying together. Please pray for the Lord to meet every need in her life with his tender care and free gift of salvation."

* Not their real names

[ Comments ]

Added: Thu, 01 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0700
Other Articles

Blue Mosaic: A Team is Born

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0700

There are no stars to be born in Jews for Jesus because we are a team of missionaries who pull together, and Blue Mosaic is a team within a team. And rather talented team, we believe!

Like the Liberated Wailing Wall, Blue Mosaic is a mobile evangelistic arm of Jews for Jesus. Their vision statement is: "To use music and the arts to present the gospel in a culturally relevant manner to our Jewish people around the world."

And, like the Liberated Wailing Wall, Blue Mosaic will bring their new, original music to churches and congregations, as well as singing and handing out broadsides on college campuses when possible. But this group will also have the flexibility to seek opportunities at coffeehouses, festivals, fairs, "open mic" nights, and wherever the current generation of Jewish people can be reached.

Because the primary mission of Blue Mosaic is reaching Jewish people through their music, they minister mainly in major metropolitan areas. The team will partner with our branch missionaries in places like New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, etc. They will also reach cities where we don't have branches, like Detroit, Atlanta and Denver.

Blue Mosaic has a more contemporary look and feel than the Liberated Wailing Wall (the latter incorporating an Eastern European "Fiddler on the Roof" flavor) yet all of the group's songs convey the timeless truth of God's Word.

Members of Blue Mosaic came together for the first time in Chicago where they participated in this year's Summer Witnessing Campaign training, after which they went on to participate in our New York City Summer Witnessing Campaign. Immersion into urban evangelism seemed to be the best possible foundation for what promises to be an exciting year of ministry.

The team named themselves, and offers the following explanation of "Blue Mosaic":

Blue is the color of the sky and the ocean -- two aspects of God's amazingly beautiful creation, and we too want to reflect His beauty in the music and message He's given to us. Blue is also one of the colors of the Israeli flag, which reminds us of our identity with our Jewish people and Y'shua, our Jewish Messiah.

Mosaic - a work of art composed of different elements that form a unified and harmonious whole. This music team is a mosaic composed of Jewish believers who are all from different countries and cultures. And "Mosaic" can also refer to Moses, the Lawgiver, about whom Jesus spoke when he said, "Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms" (Luke 24:44).

So we are BLUE MOSAIC, a group of Jewish believers from around the world, taking the beautiful message of salvation through our Jewish Messiah to our Jewish people worldwide.

MEET THE MEMBERS

Team leader Julia Pascoe was born in London, England. She grew up with her secular Jewish mother, who died when Julia was sixteen. For many years, Julia questioned God's existence, but she finally cried out to Him for help. She soon met a Christian who told her about Jesus and insisted she read the book, Betrayed, the story of Stan Telchin, and how his struggle to disprove his daughter's faith in Jesus actually led him to see that He is the Jewish Messiah.

Julia read the book and became a believer in Jesus two years later, in 1998.

In 2003, God called her into full-time ministry with Jews for Jesus. Julia served as a missionary in our London branch, and participated in several Behold Your God campaigns, including Berlin (2005) and New York (2006) and led the London campaign in the summer of 2009. She also serves on our Jews for Jesus Council. Julia sings and plays the guitar, which serves as the primary rhythm instrument for Blue Mosaic.

Nathaniel Wiseman, from Waterloo, Ontario, Canada grew up in a Messianic home and spent most of his first fifteen years in Israel, so he is fluent in Hebrew. He came to faith at a Messianic summer camp in Jerusalem. He is the grandson of Eliezer Urbach (a well known Jewish believer in Jesus featured in our film Survivor Stories) and is also the cousin of former Liberated Wailing Wall member, Amy Etinger.

Nathaniel sings baritone and has an Honors B.A. in vocal performance as well as a resume full of classical repertoire and operatic roles. Among his talents is the ability to "cantillate," which is to sing the Hebrew text of the Torah. He also plays percussion for Blue Mosaic.

Giselle Le'Aupepe is from Sydney, Australia. Raised in a Messianic home (her mom fully Jewish and her dad, half Jewish and half Samoan), she believed in Jesus from an early age. Giselle is a third generation Jewish believer and like many, had her time of rebellion before her faith became "her own." Giselle has a B.Mus. degree in performance from Wesley Institute. She faithfully volunteered in our Australia branch, participated in our Adelaide mini-campaign, and has also spent time in our New York center.

Giselle writes music, sings, and plays piano, guitar, and percussion, particularly the dunbek (middle Eastern drum). She also enjoys painting, photography, and "has several projects going" at any given time. She led a two-person music team called "Almost a Trio" that played various venues around Sydney for the past two years, and in 2008 she released a six-song (EP) recording. She has already contributed several original songs to the group's repertoire.

Mandie Greenberg is the youngest Blue Mosaic team member, having graduated high school in 2007. She was born into a believing Jewish family and grew up in Syracuse, New York, where her parents led a Messianic congregation. Mandie came to faith in Y'shua at age five. She has studied both voice and guitar, loves music and especially enjoys leading worship. She also enjoys learning other languages, writing poetry and song lyrics, and learning dance choreography.

Mandie has a wide vocal range (alto to soprano), sings and plays percussion for the group, and has also contributed songs to the group's repertoire.

Michael Jones was the last "piece" to fall into place in Blue Mosaic. Originally our fourth member was to join the team from the former Soviet Union, but he was denied his visa. We asked prayer to find a new member and God provided Michael! He grew up in a believing home, and his mom is Jewish. During high school, Michael distanced himself from other believers for awhile, but at age eighteen a friend and fellow band member pointed out the gap between Michael's talk and his walk. Michael realized his friend was right and got back "on track" with the Lord.

Michael plays guitar (both acoustic and electric), and also plays bass, drums, and sings tenor. He recorded a solo project this past spring on which he played most of the instruments. He's also participated on the worship team at his church in Windham, Maine. He joined Blue Mosaic toward the end of their training time in New York, and so did not have the opportunity to be with them during Campaign training or during the outreach itself.

Here is a sampling of encounters that Blue Mosaic had during the campaign:

Julia Pascoe: One day on Campaign, we were on our lunch break when two Jewish ladies, Judith and Joanne noticed the words on our T-Shirts: "How can you be Jewish and believe in Jesus? Ask me!" Judith invited me to join them and Joanne said, "So I'd like to ask you!" I gave a brief testimony of how I came to believe in Jesus, and explained that the Jewish Bible speaks of the time, place and circumstances of the Messiah's birth, death and resurrection. They both listened intently and Judith actually said that she believed Jesus was crucified and rose from the dead, but couldn't understand the virgin birth. She agreed to talk more with one of our missionaries at the New York branch and has since been in contact with us! Please pray that God will speak to her through His Word.

Joanne is Judith's second cousin and lives in London, so that gave us some good common ground. I have since connected with her on Facebook. Please pray for these two women to come to know their Messiah and Savior.

Giselle Le'Aupepe: I met Hilda, an 85-year-old German Jewish lady during a mid-day sortie (tract-passing expedition) at 79th & Broadway. I offered her a broadside (gospel tract) and, seeing my T-shirt, she responded to my gesture by asking, "Are YOU Jewish?" I explained lightheartedly that believing in Jesus made me more Jewish to which she replied, "Well I was in Auschwitz ... and I believe God protected and preserved my life there. Not Jesus."

I was able to explain how both my grandmother and grandfather lost family members in various camps in Europe, including Theresienstadt and Dachau. Then I explained how my grandparents had come to believe in Jesus, despite the atrocities of the war. Hilda winced and told me, "Look, I am from a Hasidic background. We don't talk about such things."

I began to share the gospel with her and pleaded with her to let me send her the Jews for Jesus Survivor Stories DVD, but she declined. Still, I was thankful to have this opportunity to share my grandparents' story. Please pray for this lady's salvation, and that she would know the One who preserved her life, and why.

Mandie Greenberg: I was in Bryant Park, using one of our new conversation starters -- a simple survey -- when I spotted a man sitting by himself who looked like he had a little time on his hands. The minute I walked up to him, he looked at my shirt and told me that he didn't believe what I believe. I asked if he would take the survey anyway. He agreed.

Through the survey, I found out that he was a former leader of the Jewish Defense League and had often opposed Moishe Rosen in the '60s and '70s, both verbally and physically. When the survey was complete, I challenged him as to why he wouldn't consider Jesus as his Messiah. He replied with the usual arguments about the Holocaust, the Resurrection and the virgin birth and proceeded to ask me why I did believe.

I told him that I had evidence. He asked me what that evidence was. I replied that if he really wanted to know, I would send him some literature with the evidences for Jesus. Two minutes later, he was giving me his address and contact information so that I could mail him something. He claimed that he probably wouldn't read it, but because I was a nice Jewish girl I could send it. So, please pray that God would soften his heart and that he would be willing to consider the truth of the Messiahship of Jesus.

Nathaniel Wiseman: While broadsiding in Bryant Park (New York City), I met a middle-aged man in business attire. As the conversation proceeded about "who Jesus is," it became clear that Mitch was Jewish, took the Bible seriously, and had examined some of the claims about Jesus. We quickly fell into an involved conversation about the origins of the Messianic hope and the meaning of 2 Samuel 7 -- where God promises David an eternal kingship. I told him that either Jesus is Messiah, or God's promise to David has failed (since we do not know with any certainty who is of the line of David anymore). I pointed out that this is why the Gospel of Matthew, gives Jesus' genealogy and calls him the Son of David -- the Son of Abraham.

As I continued to speak to Mitch, I found out that he had met others from our New York Branch, and has had serious conversations with his Christian friends, acquaintances, and co-workers. He also said that he had gone to the Jews for Jesus website and read many of the articles there. Sadly, he has also listened to many "ex-Christians" who claim that reconciliation with God through Y'shua is a deception. Although Mitch would not give me his contact information, I was able to encourage him to call our New York Branch, and also to prayerfully examine the Scriptures and ask God to reveal to him who Jesus truly is. Please pray for Mitch -- that God would open his heart to the salvation found only in Y'shua the Messiah.

If you want pray for Blue Mosaic, here are a few requests the team asks you to keep in mind:

For the group's schedule to fill up with many opportunities for evangelistic outreaches, as well as opportunities to share their message with believers who will catch our vision
For health and safety as they travel
For the salvation of unsaved family members and friends
For good relationships within the team and quick resolution of any conflicts so that the gospel can go forth unhindered.
That "honoring one another above ourselves" (Romans 12:10) would be the hallmark of our group.

Postscript: A big thank you to all who either served as members or stood with the Liberated Wailing Wall in past years. While that historic chapter of our music ministry has come to an end, those who took part continue to be an inspiration. As Blue Mosaic picks up the baton to run this leg of the race, may they be blessed and be a blessing, as their predecessors were.

[ Comments ]

Added: Thu, 01 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0700
Other Articles

Christmas Past and Present

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Our print newsletter is edited well in advance, so the seasonal stories tend to be from the previous years -- but be encouraged for Christmases past and know that stories just like these are presently unfolding in Jews for Jesus branches around the world!

San Francisco

Rob Wertheim, who heads up our evangelism in the City by the Bay, passed on this letter:

"This morning at the train station I received a pamphlet from a man explaining how Christmas should be a Jewish holiday. As I was reading, I could feel the Holy Spirit engulf me. I have been a Christian for many years but sometimes it's hard to have the courage to share the love of Jesus Christ. I would just like to say THANK YOU to the man standing there handing out the love of Jesus on a little green paper. What you are doing may not be important to everyone, but it is impacting some. Have a very Merry Jewish Christmas."

Rob also reports: "With assistance from several Jews for Jesus headquarters staff, volunteers and the help of 21 faithful volunteers from a local church in our area, St. John's Anglican Church of Petaluma -- our team distributed 45,650 broadsides during the month of December! On the last full day of the outreach, I met two vacationing Israelis. They noticed my Jews for Jesus sweatshirt and asked what it meant. I explained and in return asked if they had ever heard about or seen our ads in Israel. They had! I asked if they would be open to hearing from us when they returned home and they agreed, giving me their contact information to pass on to our Tel Aviv branch. Please pray for continued openness and for salvation for Gil and Rami. Thank you!"

New York

Vlad Mitnitsky* writes: "On the day after Thanksgiving, we gave gospel tracts to thousands of shoppers. I was near Macy's, handing out broadsides and trying to engage some people in conversation about Jesus. Suddenly a young Hasidic guy approached me and said that he would like to ask me a few questions. His name is Igor; he's a Russian Canadian who recently moved to New York. Igor's questions were sincere. He really wanted to understand how I knew that Jesus was the One. I shared with Igor a few major prophecies from the Hebrew Scriptures about the Messiah, and he had never read them, nor had he ever opened the New Testament.

"Igor had passed by the Jews for Jesus office many times, had seen our window displays and was glad to finally talk to one of us. He took a gospel tract and told me that he would consider whether Jesus might be the promised Messiah. Please pray for Igor to surrender his heart to Jesus as he searches for the truth."

*Vlad finished the New York portion of his training and is now back with our Tel Aviv branch

Moscow

Maxim Ammosov reports, "Every year at Hanukkah, Jewish organizations in Moscow arrange a big concert in the city's best concert halls. The last couple of years it was held in the main concert hall of the country, the State Kremlin Palace. Six thousand Jewish people from every corner of Moscow come to the concert! That makes it a great place to hand out broadsides and to receive Jewish contacts, which we do every year.

"This year I saw a group of people walking in the direction of the Kremlin Palace. I asked if they were going to the Hanukkah concert. They said 'yes.' One of them, Emilie, wanted to continue the conversation with me. She explained, 'I am a leader of this group.' She was from a Jewish center in Vladimir, four hours from Moscow. People from Jewish centers are not supposed to interact with Jews for Jesus. I thought she would quickly end our conversation, but I was wrong. Instead she gave me her contact information and agreed to receive literature about Y'shua! Please pray for salvation for Emilie."

Can the Music and the Message of Christmas touch Jewish hearts?

Absolutely! The following excerpts from Ceil Rosen's testimony give a resounding "Yes!" that can encourage you to pray for the Jewish people we will be meeting during this season:

"The winter I was sixteen, my high school chorus had a major role in our school's Christmas program. In grade school, I had always felt drawn to Christmas carols, but my parents would never allow me to participate in Christmas programs. Now, having taken the music class, I had to sing in the concert or fail the entire semester. I concocted a half-truth for having to be at school that evening, smuggled my costume out of the house and went off to the Christmas program. Dressed in long skirts and head scarves to approximate biblical garb, we moved across the stage in a kind of slow dance, singing, O come, O come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel. Though we had rehearsed those words many times, I suddenly found myself pondering their meaning. Was there something true about Jesus being for us Jews?

Fast Forward two years ...

"One day about a week before Christmas, I put on the Christmas album [Moishe had given me]. Suddenly the words of 'O Little Town of Bethlehem' struck me as they never had before. I wondered. What did it mean, The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight? Did the hopes refer to the messianic hope? But who would fear the coming of our longed-awaited Messiah, and why? The Gentiles said that Jesus was the Messiah. Did we Jews feel threatened by their beliefs? Were we afraid to think about Jesus in those terms because it might be true? Was that why I was never allowed to mention His name at home, and why, whenever the beautiful church music that drew me came on over the radio, my parents would quickly turn the dial to another station? Was Jesus the Everlasting Light the song mentioned?

"I listened to another song, 'We Three Kings,' and thought about the miraculous star they said led the wise men to the newborn Christ child. I had grown up hearing those carols in public school. I had even secretly enjoyed singing them except for the awkward parts that called Him 'Lord.' Now, for the first time, I was considering those songs in a new way and wondering if their message might be true. I felt I must ask God about that. I prayed, 'God, is there anything to what the Christians are saying about this Jesus?'"

[ Comments ]

Added: Thu, 01 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0700
Other Articles

From the Editor

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Moishe Rosen was a dreamer. One of his dreams was for the entire Jews for Jesus staff to become fluent in Hebrew in preparation for a big moving of the Holy Spirit in the Land of Israel. Similarly, he instructed all Jews for Jesus missionaries to keep a current passport so that we can be ready to go "where the action is" at a moment's notice.

While it's safe to say that all our passports are ready to go, we are not all equally gifted in the language department. I don't know that we can expect another Pentecost where we'll all suddenly be able to praise God and witness in other languages, like Hebrew. I do know that Moishe was fond of saying, "Pentecost was not so much about what happened in the upper room, but what happened on the streets below." By which he meant, the point of Pentecost was the Holy Spirit enabling the apostles to preach the gospel in a way that everyone present could understand.

Moishe actually made his profession of faith in Y'shua (Jesus) on Pentecost Sunday in 1953, having prayed to receive Him the night before. And, in God's perfect timing, Moishe was called home, just as Pentecost* was drawing to a close, 57 years later. The day after Moishe's passing, our Behold Your God Israel campaign in the Sharon region began. That entire day's evangelism was dedicated to his memory (see more in Bits from Behold Your God ISRAEL).

Moishe also dreamed that we would one day have a facility in the land of Israel, and that it would expand our opportunities to minister there. We are in the process of acquiring a property in the Land, which pleased Moishe immensely. His one complaint regarding the building was over what to call it.

David Brickner and the Board of Directors planned to call it the Moishe Rosen Center, but a week before his homegoing, Moishe told David that it should be called the Ceil Rosen Center. His wife Ceil received the Lord just months before he did. She faithfully witnessed and prayed for his salvation, and ultimately led him in prayer to receive Christ. Anyone who knows Ceil knows that she would never sit still for having a building or anything else named after her. Anyway, despite Moishe's insistence -- and he could be most emphatic -- the plan for the building's name has not changed.

Oh well, Dad, you couldn't always get what you wanted. But now you have everything you've ever dreamed of and we're happy for you. We look forward to seeing you again, when Jesus will wipe every tear from our eyes.

*We're not referring to Pentecost Sunday on the church calendar, but to the Jewish festival Shavuot (Pentecost) on which the church's holiday is based. This year, Shavuot began at sundown on May 18 and ended at sundown on May 19. Moishe passed into glory at 7:30 pm on the 19th, just about an hour before the sun set.

[ Comments ]

Added: Thu, 01 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0700
Other Articles

Glad You Asked

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Question: My daughter, who is twenty years old, is going with a Jewish fellow she met at college. It looks like things are getting pretty serious and they're talking about marriage. How can I best witness to him in view of the fact that she is very sensitive and wants to make sure that we do not offend him?

Answer: Your problem isn't offending him or that he's Jewish. Your problem is what to say to your daughter. If she is truly a Christian, she has relegated the Lord Jesus Christ to a place on the periphery of her life and put this young man in the center of her existence. Does it seem reasonable to you that a committed Christian would be willing to consider and marry a person who could not share the most important part of her life?

I don't know how much your daughter is willing to receive from you, but I would like to tell her that one's life partner should also be a prayer partner - one who can encourage her in the faith because he shares the faith.

I have no doubt and am quite ready to believe that the young man is a fine, noble, moral person, but for a Christian everything in life must be built on the faith.

We would be very willing to send a letter of witness* to the young man, but you need to bear witness to your own daughter and help her discover what really matters the most in life.

* If you are interested in knowing more about our Letter of Witness program, see jewsforjesus.org/witness. After filling in the required information, click on the comment box and write, "Please send a letter of witness to my Jewish friend."

[ Comments ]

Added: Thu, 01 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0700
Other Articles

It's Our Anniversary!

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0700

When people ask us when Jews for Jesus began, we always like to say, "Around 32 A.D. give or take a year." After all, the first Jews for Jesus were His twelve disciples. But that doesn't mean we are not mindful and thankful that God drew us together as a band of modern day Jews for Jesus -- 37 years ago this month!

Following is an excerpt from one of our very earliest newsletters, which was printed on both sides of a single piece of eight and a half by fourteen inch paper. At that time Moishe Rosen wrote:

WE'RE STILL AN INFANT BUT...

Praise God! We've just completed six months as an organization and we could not have done it without your gifts and prayers. Thank you!

In seeking counsel regarding the formation of an organization, I was told by knowledgeable and devout Christian leaders that it would be impossible, that no organization starts out with such a big undertaking and so many staff members when it does not have a regular constituency of donors.

The advice was sound, but we felt led of God to do the work. With eight staff members, we decided to live and operate on as much money as might come in... and the probability of having to miss a couple of our monthly checks was anticipated.

But praise God for His faithfulness! We've not only met our bills, and provided living allowances, but now we're a staff of 17, plus 20 volunteer workers who are a big part of our work. We've distributed a half a million broadside tracts. I guess we've preached or witnessed to more than 50,000 people. This does not count the numerous radio and television interviews and newspaper stories.

If this sounds like a boast, let it be a boast in the Lord, that He has done more than [we] could expect, AND DEAR FRIENDS, HE HAS USED YOU.

Since those words were clicked out on an old electric typewriter, we've handed out tens of millions of our gospel tracts. I [the editor] wouldn't even know how to begin tabulating how many millions of people have either received a one-to-one witness from our staff or volunteers, or have seen our gospel ads in the secular media, or were helped to faith because a friend passed on one of our books or films. Nor is there any way to know how many have considered Christ because of something they saw on our website. (In 1973 if you had asked us about a website we probably would have thought you were talking about a meeting place for spiders!) What I do know is that God has continued to use you, and that you have helped us reach and stretch and bring the gospel to far more places and people than we ever dreamed possible.

Yes, our staff has grown, and yes, modern technology has enhanced the ability to communicate the gospel creatively -- but we know that it is only by the grace of God and friends like you that Jews for Jesus continues to exist.

Maybe you would join us in a traditional Jewish prayer for celebrating almost any special event. It's okay if you can't follow the transliteration of the Hebrew words, you can just say the English perhaps substituting "Jews for Jesus" where it says "us":

Baruch ata Adonai, Elohenu melech ha-olam, shehecheyanu v'kiy'manu v'higianu lazman ha-zeh.

Blessed art Thou, O LORD our God, King of the Universe,
Who has granted us life and sustenance and permitted us to reach this season.

[ Comments ]

Added: Thu, 01 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0700
Other Articles

Jews for Jesus in South Florida

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0700

DID YOU KNOW that South Florida has the second largest Jewish population in the USA, outstripped only by the New York area? In fact, according to branch leader Greg Savitt, ten percent of the world's Jewish population resides in South Florida. That's approximately 750,000 Jewish people who need Jesus in Palm Beach, Broward County and Miami-Dade County.

The population fluctuates as "snow birds" come down for the winter. They begin arriving after Thanksgiving and the region hits the height of activity in March. After Easter, most winter residents leave to avoid temperatures that will exceed 95 degrees.

Our branch has been located in the greater Fort Lauderdale area (which makes up most of Broward County) since 1991. Jesus said the harvest is plenty and the workers are few. Greg adds, "Well, here in Fort Lauderdale, the (Jews for Jesus) workers are really myself and my wife, Denise. Thankfully, we have some wonderful volunteers to help us."

South Florida Staff

Greg Savitt was raised in a Conservative Jewish home. At age 16 he attended a church service and, to his surprise, experienced a sense of peace and joy he had never known. He dismissed his feelings as illogical, but years later at another church service, the same feelings were rekindled. Eager to understand what was happening, Greg began attending church regularly. He was drawn to the gospel, but could not come to terms with the idea that a Jewish person could actually believe in Jesus.

One autumn evening in 1991, Greg and his wife Denise attended a presentation by The Liberated Wailing Wall (Jews for Jesus' mobile evangelist music team). Greg finally understood that nothing could be more Jewish than believing in the promised Messiah of Israel. He and his wife both received Jesus that night and have been walking with Y'shua (Jesus) ever since.

Greg never forgot how Jews for Jesus had touched his and Denise's lives. In 1997 the Savitts left Chicago - where Greg was employed as a certified public accountant - to join our staff. (He is a graduate of the University of Illinois with a B.S. in accounting.) They moved to New York City where Greg trained as a missionary. He was deployed to serve with our South Florida branch in 1998.

Meanwhile, for more than a decade Greg did his best to help his own parents see that Jesus is the Jewish Messiah. Finally in 2003 Greg's dad, a Jewish doctor, attended a Liberated Wailing Wall concert. Greg says with a grin, "This Jewish doctor met the Great Physician after the concert." South Florida is one of many Jews for Jesus branches that has a facility housing a bookstore as well as an office where inquirers who see the large "Jews for Jesus" sign out front can drop in to see who we are.

Greg loves leading the branch's bi-monthly Bible study on the Jewish roots of the Christian faith. He says, "This type of Bible study is attracting new people who haven't come to Jews for Jesus events before. Also, our annual Miami Passover banquet has been a wonderful surprise. Each year people are coming back and bringing new people to the seder - to the point where we've found the tickets sold out." But Greg says his favorite thing is "opening the Word and showing an unsaved Jewish person how Jesus is in the Law, the Prophets, and the Writings of the Jewish Scriptures."

Greg gives an example of one such opportunity:

Recently, I had some evangelistic visits at an interesting location. Ali, a 23-year-old single Jewish mom, was interested in the gospel. She was only available after school, when her kids were with her. As an alternative to costly childcare, we always met at McDonald's Playland. That way, her children could be reasonably occupied during our conversations but still under Ali's watchful eye. This was challenging because we still had frequent interruptions. But nothing is too impossible for the Lord because after a few months of meeting Ali gave her heart to the Lord. She has been faithfully attending a great church.

Denise Savitt is a graduate of Illinois Wesleyan University with a degree in drama. Formerly a graphic artist, she works part-time as our Jews for Jesus office worker, which is a tremendous help. However, her great passion is working with inmates at the Broward County Jail. She teaches a Bible study attended by about 70 women on Tuesday nights, as well as a small group on Wednesday mornings. As people rotate in and out, she is always thrilled whenever she meets a Jewish woman.

Jewish inmates usually begin by telling Denise, "I am Jewish, so Jesus is not for me." She replies "My husband is Jewish and he believes Jesus is the Jewish Messiah, and there is nothing more Jewish than believing in Him." One woman, Sharon, began by expressing a lot of resistance to the gospel. Denise brought in the Y'shua book written by our founder, Moishe Rosen, and challenged Sharon to read it with an open mind. A week before Sharon was released, she told Denise she believed that Jesus was her Savior. Denise has expanded her ministry to continue meeting with her.

As for family life, Greg is a proud husband and father. He says "Denise has read every Jane Austen book and between her knowledge of drama and literature, if we go to see a movie, it's always Denise's pick, and has been ever since we got married 19 years ago."

The Savitts have four children: their daughter Dylan (21), Judah (16), Reuben (10), and Gabriella (7).

If you live in South Florida and would like to be a volunteer with this small but very significant Jews for Jesus branch, please e-mail or call Greg Savitt at Florida@jewsforjesus.org / (954) 616-5050

Three Things You May Not Know about South Florida's Jewish Community

The first Jewish senator was David Levy Yulee who became one of Florida's first senators in 1845.

South Florida is home to "King David Bikers," the nation's largest Jewish motorcycle riding association.

Thirty-two percent of adults in Miami's Jewish community are foreign-born.

[ Comments ]

Added: Thu, 01 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0700
Other Articles

Lifting Him Up

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0700

By Ofer Levy

In John 12:32, Jesus says "And I, If I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself."

It is not our job to draw people to Jesus - that is God's work - but we are called to point people to Him by lifting up His Name. "What you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops" (Matthew 10:27). This was our vision for the Jezreel Valley, and as I led our campaign in that area we wanted to make sure that the name of Y'shua was unavoidable to all the traffic passing through. As our campaigners stood holding banners that proclaimed the message of salvation, many saw and responded by calling our office.

One caller, Chovav, a middle-aged Israeli who called, later met with Tzachi and me. Before long he confessed Y'shua as his Lord and Savior and is now growing rapidly in his faith as we study the book of John together. Chovav later explained that when he saw the sign (banner) about Y'shua's name he was drawn to it and couldn't stop thinking about what it meant, "It was a slogan, something like 'Na, Nach, Nachman...*' but I had to know more about Y'shua so I called and agreed to receive the book."

Then there was Zalman, who comes from a Yiddish-speaking background. He had been in touch with Jews for Jesus before, but had lost contact. He saw our banner while riding the bus, and afterwards renewed his contact with me. I was able to meet with him again, hand him a copy of the New Testament and minister to him.

We met many seekers during the Jezreel Valley campaign that we continue ministering to, along with the local body of believers there. But we also continue to meet with those we encountered with on previous campaigns. For example, I recently met with David from Herzliya. Since he'd last been in touch with us, David has grown more open to the gospel, and as we met to share and study the Word together he too received and confessed Y'shua as his Savior.

When handing out tracts on the streets of Tel Aviv, I met Shaul, a Yeshiva student. As we talked on the street corner he invited me to come to his Yeshiva and personally share with him about Y'shua and why I believe He's the promised Messiah. Twice we were able to meet, and I showed him through the weekly portions of the Law and the prophets, how Y'shua is our Great High Priest and Redeemer. I thank God for that opportunity. When I came home that night, our neighbor Doron came to my doorstep and asked if I could tell him about Y'shua. We talked all night as he was eager to learn more about the gospel.

It is God who does the drawing, but we are called to make ourselves available on all fronts.

"Behold, I send you out..." (Matthew 10:16) is the constant call of an evangelist and we need to spend time with the Lord preparing for those opportunities.

-Ofer Tel Aviv

*The slogan was popularized by a particular sect of Hasidic Jews in reference to the rabbi who founded their (Breslov) movement.

[ Comments ]

Added: Thu, 01 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0700
Other Articles

Meet our Missionary Trainees!

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Simon Lissak and Kata Tar have just begun their second full month of missionary training at our center in New York City. They are learning the missionary craft, as well as learning the ropes of life in Manhattan. Your prayers during this exciting and challenging time would mean so much -- and what better way to ask you to pray than to introduce them to you!

Simon

My father and his family escaped from Poland during World War II and on reaching the UK he and the remaining family intentionally assimilated. He would not even complete the religious section of the UK census for fear of persecution. Being the son of a Polish Jew was very important to me but I was not brought up in a religious household.

Up until 2005, God had no place in my life. Christianity made no sense to me. I did not own and had never read the Bible. I thought of myself as a good person and lived a normal happy life. I had gotten married, purchased a new home, had my own business, and young son, Felix. I felt no need for God.

My wife and I often talked about how lucky we were while at the same time acknowledging that despite all we had we were not even a fraction as joyful as Felix was about life -- and we began to wonder why! There was a gap -- something missing -- and we began to wonder what it could be.

I never expected to find the answer in Jesus. I hadn't read the Bible since a couple of rather dull Religious Education lessons at secondary school; I did not own a Bible and I did not pray. Yet through several "coincidences," including a loaned book, a "chance" meeting on a train, an "unplanned" lunchtime trip to a West End church and pressure to get my son into a local church school, I was drawn to Jesus. I believed the gospel yet I wrestled with the challenge of giving up control of my life and trusting that God had a plan for it. It seemed impossible; nevertheless I prayed for God to help me do just that.

The following day, a family emergency occurred and my 22 month old son had to be rushed to the hospital. I prayed everything I could think to pray for the situation and then an extreme calm came over me. I realized that regardless of the outcome, my faith in God was real and His love would help me no matter what happened in my life. Even before that crisis passed, I saw that God had given me the trust I could not muster on my own. The huge "gap" in my life was gone.

Looking back I see how my salvation was God's work of grace. He was not put off by my numerous objections ... rejections and rebellions ... He just kept on until there was no escape!

What amazed me was that almost immediately after coming to faith I started to "feel more Jewish." I told my pastor about that but it didn't seem to make much sense to him. I don't think I really fully knew who I was in Christ until I came to my first Jews for Jesus meeting and met other Jews who believed in Jesus. Then a lot fell into place for me.

Jews for Jesus has an "Existential Crisis" broadside tract that could have been my conversion story! I am pleased that I am now handing out those tracts, and hoping that another "me" might take one and meet Jesus!

Kata

My Jewish grandmother actually became a Christian and raised my mom as a Protestant. But after the war my mother got a Marxist education -- and so did I. I was therefore raised as an atheist, which was quite normal in my home country, Hungary. I was convinced that these ideologies were true and right.

However, in my university years, I was faced with the harsh realities of Socialism. I was disappointed, disillusioned, and lost my "faith" in Communism. Still, I remained a materialist (one who does not believe in things that cannot be apprehended through the five senses.)

My disappointment caused me to begin searching. I took part in a seance and [though I now know this is a dangerous practice that is strictly forbidden in the Bible] it convinced me beyond a doubt that a spiritual dimension exists. So I thought I would do some exploring and choose whatever "god" suited me. Jesus was not among the candidates. It did not bother Him; He knew what would be.

When I graduated I could not seem to settle down and had three jobs within my first year and a half out of school. During the time of this "Great Depression" I wanted another taste of something spiritual, and I decided to visit an old friend in the country. By then she and her fiance had gotten saved. They shared their testimony with me and though I envied the radical change in them, I thought I was too rational for such thing as Christianity.

Then a thought occurred to me which I now recognize was from the Holy Spirit: "You are looking for the same thing they have. Why do you try to understand with your mind that which you can only know with your heart? Just listen!" So I did. That night as my friends prayed for me, I experienced God's presence, and I spoke to him for the first time in my life. I apologized for having not believed in Him and told Him I wanted to know Him. From that point on, I knew that God existed and that He loved me.

My friends gave me literature to help me understand why I needed Jesus. The Holy Spirit helped me understand my self-centeredness and sin, and that I needed Jesus to be on the throne of my heart. He became the King of my life.

Before applying for missionary staff, both Simon and Kata volunteered extensively with Jews for Jesus. Simon joined our London staff every Thursday, doing street evangelism, and just before beginning training, he was part of our 2010 New York City Summer Witnessing Campaign. Kata took part in our 2009 Summer Campaign in London. The following are a few of their experiences.

Kata: In London I had the privilege to talk to a nice Orthodox lady, who expressed her sorrow for me having been, as she believed, brainwashed. Though I know her motive in talking with me was simply to "win me back," it was still an opportunity to witness, and I know God can use it.

Next I encountered a middle-aged Orthodox man. He angrily questioned my Jewishness, and announced that I would never be able to move to Israel. God kept me in His peace and meekness. To each of his accusations I had an answer from the Bible. Finally I spoke to him about Daniel 9:26. This indicates that the Messiah must have already come according to the time table and events prophesied. He had no reply, until finally he lifted his cell phone saying: "If you don't leave in five seconds, I'll phone the police." I rejoiced, because I knew the Holy Spirit had cornered him. He had no answer, so he could only make a threat. I pray for him to find out the saving truth about our Messiah.

Simon: While handing out broadsides at Lincoln Center in New York, I bumped into Gloria, a retired Jewish lady who was fascinated by my T-shirt and eager to talk to me about being Jewish and believing in Jesus. She had been reading the Bible recently, and had employed a handyman who was telling her about Jesus every time he came to work at her house. She was impressed enough by the witness that she asked one of her Orthodox relatives "Why don't Jewish people believe in Jesus?" She was surprised when he reacted angrily.

It turns out that she had met another Jews for Jesus awhile back, but had lost contact. Since I was able to get her recent contact information, I pray that as our New York branch connects with Gloria, she will come to faith in her Messiah.

Please pray for Kata and for the Lissak family who made the move "across the pond" in mid-August.

[ Comments ]

Added: Thu, 01 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0700
Other Articles

Moishe Knew the Value of Children's Ministry...

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Age never seemed to be a factor for Moishe in relating to people; he was never condescending or patronizing with children. One of his goals was that Jews for Jesus have a meaningful ministry to young people,* and he especially wanted us to excel in camp ministry. He would have enjoyed the following reports, and we hope you will enjoy them too, knowing that this part of our ministry was close to Moishe's heart.

Camp Gilgal East by Liz Goldstein

Last July we had an exceptional week with our teens at Camp Gilgal East! We hadn't changed our program or added a new feature. But while we see God work in the lives and hearts of these campers each year, in 2009 the teens' level of openness and hunger for the things of God seemed unusually high. As the director of Camp Gilgal East since 2006 and a camp staff member since 2000, this has always been my desire and prayer. As much as camp is about fun and building community, more than anything it is about creating an atmosphere where campers learn and grow in their faith as something that is their very own, and not only their parents'.

One evening, the teens were discussing their own failings and frustrations in their relationship with God. They were telling each other and the camp staff how they want to share their faith in Y'shua with their friends at school and with their Jewish relatives. What was unique was the way they rallied around each other to support this desire. This particular group of campers developed a camaraderie I've rarely seen. As the week drew to a close, they continued to express a fervor in their desire to grow in their faith. I was encouraged and excited by the prospect of following-up with them through the year.

Fast forward from July to November: Thanksgiving in New York City. I held a four-day outreach for teens. Of the six who participated, four had been part of the summer camp group. Over the four days, they received training on how to talk with someone about their faith, how they can know the Bible is true, how they can respond to attacks on their Jewish identity by people on the streets. Then they put the training into use as they went on four sorties (tract-passing expeditions) -- including the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade! The daily schedule for this outreach included time for personal devotions. The teens were grateful, but they also shared how they usually only maintain their devotional life for about one week after an event like this.

In February, we had our annual Camp Gilgal WWW (Wonderful Winter Weekend). I was encouraged to hear that the instructor for the event challenged the teens to take time for their own personal devotions beyond one week after WWW was over.

Two weeks after WWW, I connected by phone with most of the teens that attended WWW. I asked them if they remembered the challenge about devotions and asked how it was going: were they making time to spend in devotions with the Lord? Many of them had put in effort, and were disappointed in themselves that they hadn't spent every day with personal devotion time! I encouraged them not to be discouraged but to keep going, to keep pressing forward.

This group of teens has actually challenged me in my own walk with the Lord. Even as someone serving the Lord full-time, I can't remember the last time I felt disappointed that I missed a day in my own devotions. We all know what the Bible says about being like children to enter the Kingdom of God, but I think in this case, we can also look to the faith of a teen and say, "I want to be more like that!"

I'm excited that God is raising up this band of teens who are becoming more and more committed in their faith and desiring opportunities to serve the Lord. I hope that this core group of campers will continue to sharpen one another and draw their fellow campers in to be part of this group of teens who are hungry for the things of God. I'm reminded of 1 Peter 2:9: "But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light." These teens come from different backgrounds and home lives, but they are coming together, and it's their faith in Y'shua that is becoming the strongest tie!

This year is Camp Gilgal's 20th season, and I'm excited to see what God is going to do in all the sessions, not only with the teens. Please keep this ministry in prayer!

Liz Goldstein is one of many Jews for Jesus staff and volunteers involved in this vital aspect of ministry. As you pray for her, please also remember the big picture and the investment we are making world-wide to strengthen the next generation of Jewish believers in Jesus in their ability to walk and talk for Him.

God Works Whether We See it or Not by Rebekah Pill

My name is Rebekah Pill and I've served through the Jews for Jesus student program while completing my undergraduate degree from Pace University. One aspect of my regular work as part of the student program in the New York branch has been a weekly "Kid's Club" with a few elementary-aged children. This Bible study for children coincides with the branch's Tuesday night adult Bible Study. My goal has been to teach and to challenge these young followers of Y'shua to study the Bible for themselves. At times it's been hard to tell if these efforts have made any impact, but now and then I've gotten glimpses of how the lessons are actually sinking in. One of our studies was on the "I am" statements of Y'shua (Jesus). We read from the Bible, memorized passages, and did different object lessons to help us understand the various statements Y'shua made such as, "I am the light of the world," "I am the vine, you are the branches," or "I am the good shepherd." Some months later the theme for our building's evangelistic window display was the "I am" statements.

The window had not been up for very long when I heard that a ten-year-old girl in my Kid's Club had reported to her father that the window was missing something. He asked her what was missing and without skipping a beat she reminded him of John 4:10 where Y'shua calls himself the source of living water. Not only did she suggest that "living water" should have been in the window, but she was able to articulate why it was important to remember what Jesus said about it.

I was excited, but I was also surprised. You see, this particular child had not participated very well in the study the previous fall. I was shocked that not only had she been listening, but months later she had continued to think about what she'd learned.

It was such a blessing to be reminded that even when it seems like the children are not listening or paying attention, God continues to speak to them. Be encouraged to persevere as you share God's love and his truth with those around you, even if your audience seems initially unresponsive.

[ Comments ]

Added: Thu, 01 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0700
Other Articles

Moishe's Musings: Getting a Faith Lift

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Editor: Thanks to those of you who have responded with so much enthusiasm to the excerpts from Moishe's yet-to-be published biography. I'm encouraged that so many are looking forward to reading the book (as I write this I'm on the very last chapter.) I've received many other beautiful notes saying how much that Moishe's Musings will be missed. This month, I thought we'd take a break from the book previews because I wanted to share the following recently discovered (I believe never-before-published) nugget that Moishe wrote, probably in the early to mid-seventies.

Last Monday, Ceil bought me a plastic kite. You know, I have a lot of the same problems as Charlie Brown. One of my problems is that I have never been able to get a kite to fly. We went to Golden Gate Park and put the kite together according to the instructions. The kite was the shape of a sting-ray and had big fearsome eyes. The eyes we didn't put on, because we wanted it to be a friendly kite. I hooked it up to my fishing reel and half of a fishing pole and I ran; and as I ran, the kite went up. But the field on which I was running wasn't quite long enough, and when I stopped running the kite fell down.

I think some of us have souls like a kite. As long as we keep running, it'll stay up, but in a world as crowded as ours, it's hard to keep running all the time because we don't have any place to run to. Jesus says that the Spirit of God is like the wind (John 3:8). When that Spirit takes hold of our kite soul, then we get a lift and we go high as long as we stay anchored and keep a tight connection. That's another thing I learned about kite flying. The line has to be taut; otherwise, it can't go up. But He'll lift us as high as our cord will let us go. I hope you're getting a lift out of Jesus.

Anyway, I took the kite down to the beach. There's always a breeze there. I didn't even have to run; I just let go, and the kite flew to the sun. I couldn't look at it, but I knew it was up there because I could feel the tension on the cord. Several times it dipped or dived, but always the wind picked it up again. It scared some of the seagulls, but the kids who were lying on the beach on this almost-warm day didn't pay much attention. I guess they're used to seeing grown men and their wives flying kites.

I tried to reel the kite in, but the monofilament cord snapped. The kite went sailing across the Great Highway; and when we got to the top of the bluff overlooking the beach, the kite was nowhere to be seen. But in the sunlight, that thin strand of monofilament line glistened and I followed it. Even though the kite had gone a fourth of a mile, it went over the highway and came down intact.

I guess that the beach is the place to go if you want to fly a kite; but I'll remember to bring enough cord that's both thick enough and long enough, because somehow I know that kite could have gone much, much higher than my limited cord let it go. It's like that with the things of God too. If you want to rise and go high, you've got to go to the place where you know the Spirit is moving, and you've got to have cord that's stout enough and long enough to see what your soul kite can do. Like I say, I hope you get a lift out of Jesus.

[ Comments ]

Author: Moishe Rosen
Added: Thu, 01 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0700
Other Articles

Never Go Against God's Anointed

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0700

This article contains descriptions, conversations and reflections of biblical characters that the author has imagined, based on Psalm 2; 1 Samuel 16, 24; 2 Samuel 5; 1 Kings 1-2.

The two men leaned in close to one another, intent on a more intimate conversation than the bustle of the royal entourage swirling around them might have allowed. The younger man appeared worried and distracted. Uncertainty and fear lined his face. In contrast, the old man had the serene bearing of a king who had seen much, endured much and was able to pass on his royal mantle with dignity and quiet confidence. David had been Israel's monarch for forty years, but today he would hand over the kingdom to Solomon, just as he had promised the boy's mother.

Solomon wasn't so sure about becoming king. His father was old and soon would be "gathered to his people," unable to help him. Meanwhile, Solomon's older brother Adonijah had already set up a rival administration and had had himself anointed King in David's place. Solomon's life might soon be forfeit to the ambitions of his brother and those who had aligned themselves with him. But David's confidence calmed Solomon's heart. "You are the one God has chosen, my son. Nathan the prophet anointed you, not your brother, to be the King. Have no fear. Whenever God chooses to anoint a man, the enemies of the Lord will rise against him. But the will of the Lord shall prevail. Mark my words."

Solomon knew his father spoke truth from experience. He had heard the stories many times over and had even memorized the song that commemorated his father's anointing as king. It had been an event marked by tremendous turmoil and bloodshed.

Why do the nations rage, and the people plot a vain thing?
The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying, "Let us break their bonds in pieces and cast away their cords from us." (Psalm 2:1-3)

David was only a young man when he was anointed King of Israel in Bethlehem by the prophet Samuel. Though he had known the quiet life of tending his father's sheep, he had already proven himself in battle -- against wild animals that would attack his father's flock, and against the Philistine giant who mocked the God of Israel. Yet he could also gently soothe "the beast within," and he often overcame Saul's dark moods with his music.

In return, David was forced to spend much of his young adulthood fleeing from the murderous intentions of Saul. But though the first king of Israel treated David like an enemy, the son of Jesse refused to do battle against him. David knew that God's anointing was something special and even when it was within his power to slay Saul, he reminded his fighting men, "touch not the Lord's anointed."

One might have expected David to heave a sigh of relief when Saul died in battle, but that was not the case. David remembered the very best of Saul, when others might have remembered the worst. He grieved from his heart at Saul's passing -- not to mention the passing of Saul's son Jonathan, David's closest friend.

The men of Judah anointed David in Hebron as King a second time, but even with Saul and his heir gone, obstacles rose up, threatening to block David from his destiny. Saul's other son, Ishbosheth, attempted to divide the tribes of Israel from Judah, and claim the kingship over Israel for himself. Though it took time, David's patient confidence eventually paid off; the tribes united and he was anointed once again in Hebron, this time with all the elders of Israel present.

Well did Solomon remember the tales of what happened next. Instead of hailing David's triumph, the nations raged and the people plotted -- just as the song said. The Jebusites in Jerusalem mocked David as a weakling, joking that he couldn't even defeat a group of determined blind and lame men. Of course they were wrong, and Zion, the city of David, is testament to his first victory as King of Israel. Then the Philistines, a much more formidable enemy, determined to destroy the young king when he'd barely had the time to establish himself.

"Remember, Solomon," David would say, "when men stand up against God, God sits down to laugh." I can imagine him teaching Solomon the song:

He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; the Lord shall hold them in derision. Then He shall speak to them in His wrath, and distress them in His deep displeasure: "Yet I have set My King On My holy hill of Zion." (Psalm 2:4-6)

It was no small thing for David to go up against the mighty Philistine armies -- the very ones who had killed King Saul. And now they were spread out like swarms of flies all across the valley of Rephaim. David knew he needed God's help and so he prayed to the Lord. God loves it when His anointed son prays to Him:

The Lord has said to Me, "You are My Son, today I have begotten You. Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them to pieces like a potter's vessel" (Ps.2:7-9).

What happened next was one of the strangest military victories in the annals of Israel. "When you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees then rouse yourself," God had said. "The Lord will go out before you."

"It happened just like that," David often recalled with amazement. "I can still hear the sound of God's armies, marching in the tops of those trees. We called that place 'the Lord broke through.' Those Philistines threatened to 'break our bonds in pieces' but the Lord broke through on them instead."

A mighty victory was secured for the Lord and His anointed on that day.

The moral of the story and the point of Psalm two is one and the same: never go against God's anointed. Young King Solomon needed to learn firsthand what his father David had discovered long before: his security would never be in strength of arms or wealth and wisdom, but in the promises of God. Those who chose to honor Solomon as King were honoring King David, and ultimately, they were honoring God. When you honor the son, you honor the father. When you honor the anointed, you honor the One who has chosen to anoint.

Now therefore, be wise, O kings; be instructed, you judges of the earth.
Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and you perish in the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little. (Psalm 2:10-12)

God staked his reputation on David and on David's descendants, not because they were so deserving of God's help but because God is so faithful and deserving of true worship. King David was anointed as a foreshadowing of the ultimate Anointed One, the Messiah, David's greater Son, King Y'shua. All the nations of the earth will one day either bend their knees in worship to Him or bow to be judged by Him, the supreme King of Kings, blessed be He.

Whenever we choose to "kiss the Son" -- that is, acknowledge and obey Jesus in our own lives -- we are aligning ourselves with the purposes of the King of the universe. With that obedience, we have the promise of His anointing on our own lives as well. That doesn't mean that no one will come against us in this life. In fact, at times it may seem that the whole world is arrayed against us. But if we are standing with the Anointed One, no weapon formed against us shall prosper. Or as the song says:

"Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him."
(Psalm 2:12b)

[ Comments ]

Author: David Brickner
Added: Thu, 01 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0700
Other Articles

Sneak Preview

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0700

As mentioned last month, Ceil Rosen came to know Jesus before Moishe did, so the following portions of her testimony are included Moishe's biography. This month they would have celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary.

"How much do I owe you?" Ceil asked casually. Though her heart was racing, her voice was restrained.

"It was 69 cents, just like you thought," Dorothy replied, handing Ceil a brown paper bag. She was too good a friend to raise questions about the contraband it contained.

Ceil counted out the coins. "Thanks so much," she smiled, as she placed them in Dorothy's hand.

As soon as Dorothy left, Ceil hastily pulled the thick black book from the bag. . . . Now, hands trembling, Ceil fumbled through the cheap newsprint pages, past the parts she recognized from years of Hebrew school. And then, there it was, about two thirds of the way through the Bible . . . the New Testament.

She began with the first verse of the first book of the New Testament: "The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham." What's wrong with that? she thought. It's saying that Jesus was Jewish!

She read voraciously until it was time to prepare dinner, then she hid the Bible beneath some papers in a desk drawer. From then on, whenever she had a few moments alone she read it. The more she read, the more impressed she was that it was a Jewish book about a Jewish person who claimed to be the Jewish Messiah.

No Christian had ever suggested anything like this to her; none had even suggested that she read this New Testament. It was, she thought, her private discovery. And she intended to keep it that way.

But it was not in Ceil's nature to keep silent about her enthusiasm�"and the more she read, the more she was drawn to Jesus. She "just knew" that he was real, and longed to talk to someone about the discovery. But just as she knew that Jesus was real, she also knew that parents, in-laws, friends�"even her husband�"would be furious if they knew what she was about.

Paradoxically, reading about Jesus seemed to both satisfy and yet intensify an inner hunger that Ceil never knew she had. And her growing belief in him presented another paradox: it seemed to complete the near perfect life she now enjoyed, while at the same time threatening to destroy it.

Marriage and motherhood had begun a wonderful new era in Ceil's life. . . .

As a little girl, Ceil believed in God without question, and used to pray to him in her own words. Sometimes as she gazed at the candles her mother lit each Sabbath, she felt a mystical awe, as though the flickering flames embodied some special holiness. She experienced a similar feeling in synagogue whenever she looked at the ark where the Torah scrolls resided. When the men in their striped prayer shawls drew aside the velvet curtain to bring out the Torah, Ceil squeezed her eyes shut, not daring to look. She thought that God was behind the curtain, and sensed that he was too holy for her to look at.

Ceil's parents taught her to recite Hebrew prayers at a young age. She obediently repeated the prayers each day, though she did not know what they meant. . . . At the age of six, she began Hebrew school and before long, she knew what the prayers meant . . . but they had already been instilled in her as mere sounds she was supposed to make, regardless of their meaning.

As she grew older, Ceil realized that as strict and observant as her family was in their total Jewish lifestyle, there were others who kept even more rules and regulations than her family. At the same time, most of her friends' families were far less Orthodox and didn't concern themselves with nearly as many rules.

Those discrepancies confused Ceil. . . . Before long, her confusion turned to apathy. By the time she was twelve, and had graduated from Hebrew school, she figured that if God existed at all, he was a rather unpleasant authority figure who exacted a heavy toll from Jews for the privilege of being his chosen people. Ceil was not especially thrilled to have been "chosen," whatever that meant.

By the time Ceil was eighteen and married, she'd "had it" with being chosen and was ready to do some choosing of her own. . . . She still identified as a Jew, but was thankful to keep her own household where there was no need to follow the many rules and regulations. She was very content with her husband and new baby . . . and was very thankful for her in-laws, who treated her like she truly was their daughter.

All these positive circumstances had melted Ceil's rebellion and left her feeling so grateful that she could no longer deny the God she had trusted as a very little girl. She wanted to know him, and she wanted her child to know him. But when she reached out with that first prayer, she never imagined that there would be more prayers, or that the answers to them would lead her to Jesus. Now with that forbidden black book challenging her, what was she to do?

[ Comments ]

Added: Thu, 01 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0700
Other Articles

Newsletter - Jews for Jesus

Bits from the Branches

Sydney

Phoenix

London

Related Topics

Jews for Jesus in Washington, D.C.

Meet our Missionaries

Bits from the Branch

"You Never Know Who's Listening"

"The Fool Hath Said..."

"A time for every purpose under heaven"

"Seizing an Opportunity"

Prayer Pulse Points

Moishe's Musings on Community

Promises Fulfilled

Remembering Moishe Rosen

Moishe Rosen Obituary Excerpts

An Unexpected Opportunity

An Independence Problem

Bits from the Branches

Phoenix

Montr�al

Toronto

Related Topics

Blue Mosaic

Sneak Preview: taken from the final chapter of Moishe Rosen's yet-to-be published* biography

Related Topics

Generation to Generation

Related Topics

Bits from the Branches

Los Angeles

New York

Tel Aviv

Related Topics

Jews for Jesus CLIMS

Jews for Jesus in the United Kingdom

A Purim Lesson: Taking Risks

Bits from the Branches

New York

Israel

Germany

Related Topics

It Never "Just So Happens"

Moishe's Musings

Competition

Controversy and Conflict

Related Topics

Overview of the Minor* Prophets

Spiritual Implications and Application

END NOTES

Related Topics

Show Me Your ID

No Joke!

The Marvelous City

Carnival

Facts about Jews and Brazil

Sneak Preview of Moishe Rosen's yet to be published biography...

Biblical Locales, Then and Now

Nazareth:

Bethlehem:

Jerusalem

Capernaum

Tiberias

References:

Related Topics

Bits from the Branches

Odessa

San Francisco

Israel

Related Topics

Bits from the Branches

London

Australia

Related Topics

Full Circle

Sneak Preview: Excerpted from the pre-published biography of Moishe Rosen

Bits from the Branches

Paris

Essen