EVANGELISM

Inside View - Clock Gears

Inside View Nov/Dec 2025

In my 13 years leading The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry (FOI), I have enjoyed communicating my insights and perspectives…

Apples of Gold

Apples of Gold Nov/Dec 2025

There are many stiff-necked people in Israel (Isa. 6:9–10). But the Lord calls us who follow Jesus to go to them so they may hear with their own ears…

Rightly Dividing

Paul’s Thankfulness

The Bible admonishes believers to be constantly and consistently thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will. Jesus’ brother James wrote, “My brethren…

Apples of Gold

Apples of Gold Sep/Oct 2025

I often take the bus to Jerusalem. The things I hear on my rides are hard to believe. This week, my wife and I took our seats on the bus next to several ultra-Orthodox…

The Road Before the Road

A look at Paul’s conversion experience and how God drew the apostle to Jesus Salvation should never cease to amaze us…

Apples of Gold

Apples of Gold Jul/Aug 2025

I often feel like a lamb among wolves (Lk. 10:3) while sharing God’s Word on the streets of Israel. But what I share from the Bible often surprises the people with…

The Touch of the Master’s Hand

Whether He uses five loaves and two fish or an “I love Israel” sticker, God skillfully transforms the ordinary into…

Apples of Gold

Apples of Gold May/Jun 2025

Many people in Israel find no rest because they are too busy speaking against people like me who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ…

Apples of Gold

Apples of Gold Mar/Apr 2025

We are celebrating Passover here in Israel. Children and their parents happily sing “Avadim Hayinu,” a song with one sentence…

Salvation to the Nations

Salvation to the Nations

John “Hannibal” Smith, leader of the A-Team in the 1980s television series of the same name, always had a plan to…

Apples of Gold

Apples of Gold Jan/Feb 2025

From time to time, I enjoy long discussions with my Arab neighbors. They often speak to me hatefully. But we who believe in the Lord cannot respond with hate…

Answering the Call

Two millennia ago, God sent His Son, Jesus, on a mission of redemption that Jesus successfully completed on the cross at Calvary…

Apples of Gold

Apples of Gold Nov/Dec 2024

Christmas is coming soon. So, many of the ultra-Orthodox tell me, “Have a great birthday!” They mean to insult me because they know I believe in Christ…

Apples of Gold

Apples of Gold Sep/Oct 2024

I recently had an encounter that was hard even for me to believe. But as we say here in Israel, “When God wills it, anything is possible…

Apples of Gold

Apples of Gold Jul/Aug 2024

Many elderly people in Israel go door to door collecting money for blind children. Recently, I heard a knock on my door. When I opened it, two kind, elderly, ultra-Orthodox men…

Apples of Gold

Apples of Gold May/Jun 2024

My Arab neighbors often come to my home to speak about spiritual matters. When they cannot answer my questions, they tell me they will…

Apples of Gold

Apples of Gold Mar/Apr 2024

Though we seek peace with our neighbors, we know it will not come easily. They call themselves righteous Jews while they tell me to keep quiet…

Apples of Gold

Apples of Gold Jan/Feb 2024

This week I went to the hospital for a doctor’s appointment. While there, I saw some of the hospital workers who remembered what I had shared…

Apples of Gold

Apples of Gold Nov/Dec 2023

Many immigrants live in the neighborhoods around us. Most of them have come from Russia. When we celebrated the Feast of Hanukkah recently…

Apples of Gold

Apples of Gold Sep/Oct 2023

People from nations all over the world come to visit Israel. It is written in Isaiah 34:1, “Come near, you nations, to hear” and in Isaiah 49:6…

Apples of Gold

Apples of Gold Jul/Aug 2023

The ultra-Orthodox often find new ways to attract new followers. Recently, they hosted a big, public meeting with a well-known rabbi. Like many rabbis, he felt he could convince…

Apples of Gold

Apples of Gold May/Jun 2023

We live very close to our Arab neighbors, so we see each other almost every day. A few months ago I had a long conversation with some of them…

Apples of Gold

Apples of Gold Mar/Apr 2023

It is written in Jeremiah 6:14, “‘Peace, peace!’ when there is no peace.” It is also written, “I will give you assured peace in this place” (14:13)…

Apples of Gold

Apples of Gold Jan/Feb 2023

The ultra-Orthodox are always looking for 10 men to form a minyan, a quorum necessary for synagogue prayer. So I wait outside the synagogue, watching them call people…

Christian Persecution Nov/Dec 2022

A 28-year-old Christian in eastern Uganda has died from head injuries sustained in an attack by Muslim extremists in July…

Apples of Gold

Apples of Gold Nov/Dec 2022

Through God’s miracles, the Jewish people have survived; and now we live in the Promised Land. At this time of year, we enjoy celebrating Hanukkah…

Apples of Gold

Apples of Gold Sep/Oct 2022

We recently enjoyed a most important holiday—the feast of Simchat Torah, Hebrew for “rejoicing over the Law.” Many of the Orthodox dance in the synagogues…

Apples of Gold

Apples of Gold Jul/Aug 2022

There are many ultra-Orthodox organizations here in Israel. Each one is filled with people who want to show how faithfully they work against those…

Apples of Gold

Apples of Gold May/Jun 2022

People in Israel are always trying to find something new and interesting. For a long time, the ultra-Orthodox Jews promoted as messiah a man from New York City…

Apples of Gold

Apples of Gold Mar/Apr 2022

Many dictators, like Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin, have called themselves righteous; and people, like sheep, worship them. Such people persecute the Chosen People…

Apples of Gold

Apples of Gold Jan/Feb 2022

Many people do not want to talk about the Holocaust, especially the elderly, who suffered in the death camps as I did. Our young people know of the…

The ‘Forbidden Chapter’

What joy was mine when I ministered in Israel for one month each year when I served as director of…

Apples of Gold

Apples of Gold Nov/Dec 2021

The ultra-Orthodox in Israel try to milk people out of their money. They always find something new to sell. Lately they have been…

A Conversation with Joel Rosenberg

As part of The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry’s mission to teach about Israel and the Jewish people, our North American…

Apples of Gold

Apples of Gold Sep/Oct 2021

Deuteronomy 16:19 says, “You shall not . . . take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous.” Therefore, it is written…

Silhouette of man speaking.

God Doesn’t ‘Cancel’ Us

A missionary and church planter found himself in a difficult position when the members of the so-called cancel culture endeavored to silence him…

Apples of Gold

Apples of Gold Jul/Aug 2021

Israel is filled with many false teachers. They grow like mushrooms after the rain. They are extremely active, and every few days we see a new “holy one.” Many people here believe…

Antique fountain pen on parchment.

From the Editor May/Jun 2021

Shortly after I became a Christian in 1980, I was invited to a luncheon sponsored by the local branch of a nondenominational, evangelical Christian organization…

Inside View - Clock Gears

Inside View May/Jun 2021

The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry is devoted to sharing the gospel. Gospel is part of our name; and since our inception in 1938, we have lived…

A Letter to My Dad

Another Father’s Day is just around the corner. My dad passed away in 2008; and at age 97, my mom still misses him. Perhaps that was why she showed me…

He Never Let Go

My story begins with my father, who was enjoying recognition as a successful research chemist despite two big problems: He was a functioning alcoholic and an atheist…

What is the Gospel?

Many years ago, my wife and I were invited to dinner at the home of a prominent older woman. She knew governors and senators and had been friends with Albert Einstein…

ABC

Here are the ABCs of accepting Jesus as your Savior: A. Acknowledge and repent of your sin, realizing sin separates us from a holy and righteous God…

Apples of Gold

Apples of Gold May/Jun 2021

As we say here in Israel, “Le roi est mort, vive le roi,” which is French for “The king is dead, long live the king!” Apparently, a new “king” is coming—a rabbi…

Antique fountain pen on parchment.

From the Editor Mar/Apr 2021

When I became a Christian, I didn’t know much about Christianity. I didn’t know the New Testament or doctrine or what God expected of me as a believer…

How to Walk With God

Someone has aptly said, “Counting time is not nearly as important as making time count!” No one can stop the clock of history. It ticks with exactness through each…

Apples of Gold

Apples of Gold Mar/Apr 2021

In the spring we celebrate Purim here in Israel. Not everyone knows the meaning of this great day. Many think it is merely a festival of joy…

Apples of Gold

Apples of Gold Jan/Feb 2021

It is written in Proverbs 9:10, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” But some people are…

Apples of Gold

Apples of Gold Nov/Dec 2020

Today I went to the office of the Ministry of the Interior, where most of the workers are religious and wear long beards and cover their heads…

From Moses to Jesus

Eclectic is how I would describe my mother’s taste in furniture. Nothing really matched when I was growing up. Furniture was not her thing…

How Do You Know God Loves You?

How do you know if someone really loves you? Some people may say they love you, but if they don’t show it, you may doubt…

Apples of Gold

Apples of Gold Sep/Oct 2020

We have been living in our neighborhood for many years and have developed good relationships with our neighbors. Some of them know I believe in Jesus…

Apples of Gold

Apples of Gold Jul/Aug 2020

When people are in trouble, they start to think about the big questions of life, like where they came from. Even those who seem so far away from faith begin to open their eyes…

Open Doors for FOI

Larry is a lover of Israel and the Jewish people. He is also a longtime friend. I met him and his wife, Lori, many years ago when we moved to Chicago…

Apples of Gold

Apples of Gold May/Jun 2020

A few days ago here in Israel, there was a big celebration and demonstration for equal rights for women. Even men from the Orthodox community participated…

Apples of Gold

Apples of Gold Mar/Apr 2020

Most countries are against Israel. I am sure that if any other country had as many enemies as Israel does, it would not exist anymore…

Antique fountain pen on parchment.

From the Editor Jan/Feb 2020

Two things I feel like I’ve known about since the day I was born are the Holocaust and the State of Israel. Some people feel these entities are unrelated…

Inside View - Clock Gears

Inside View Jan/Feb 2020

The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry is an evangelical organization. We share the gospel with everyone willing to listen. The word evangelical comes from the Greek…

Apples of Gold

Apples of Gold Jan/Feb 2020

Psalm 115:2 says, “Why should the Gentiles say, ‘So where is their God?’” It is our obligation before God to tell others about Him…

Apples of Gold

Apples of Gold Sep/Oct 2019

In Ezekiel 33:11 it is written, “Say to them: ‘As I live,’ says the Lord GOD, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways…

Apples of Gold

Apples of Gold Jul/Aug 2019

My wife and I often take the bus to the market. The bus is a wonderful place to meet new people and reconnect with people you have not seen in a long time…

Apples of Gold

Apples of Gold Mar/Apr 2019

Many times I try to speak to my Jewish people about how the Scriptures teach God has chosen Israel to be a light to the nations, bringing the Good News about the one true God to the ends of the earth…

Apples of Gold

Apples of Gold Jan/Feb 2019

Two days ago, I was on my way to the bus and ran into two Arab sheikhs who began a friendly conversation with me. “Now we are on the way to peace. We just have to make this road map; then we will go from there…

Apples of Gold

Apples of Gold Nov/Dec 2018

I have lived in Jerusalem for 57 years, and I have seen many advertisements for special synagogue meetings where distant rabbis come to speak. Recently, I saw a poster advertising a rabbi who was coming to talk about…

Apples of Gold

Apples of Gold Sep/Oct 2018

Recently in Israel, we celebrated the holiday of Simchat Torah, which means “Rejoicing of the Law.” God gave the Law to Moses to give to Israel. It was a good thing that we received the Law, but it was not a good thing that we…

Apples of Gold

Apples of Gold Jul/Aug 2018

After two weeks in Canada, I am now home in Jerusalem. My flight back was fruitful, as I had a good conversation on the airplane with a friendly group of young Orthodox students who were flying to Israel for the first time…

Apples of Gold

Apples of Gold May/Jun 2018

It is written in Isaiah 49:6, “I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles, that You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.” People are coming to Israel from the ends of the…

Apples of Gold

Apples of Gold Mar/Apr 2018

In Psalm 56:4, it is written, “In God I have put my trust; I will not fear. What can flesh do to me?” It is Passover season, and the ultra-Orthodox travel from house to house…