Joel of Jerusalem Apr/May 1987
What a wonderful feeling it is to be one of the Chosen People of God and to live in the Promised Land which He has given to us as His people.
What a wonderful feeling it is to be one of the Chosen People of God and to live in the Promised Land which He has given to us as His people.
What a privilege to share what God has done in my life! The oldest of three children, I was reared in a Jewish home by good, loving parents. Although we rarely attended synagogue, we celebrated the holidays.
I was recently walking along the street in the old city of Jerusalem, and I saw two young orthodox Jewish students carrying what appeared to be a very heavy package.
We read many times in the Bible that the people of Israel are God’s chosen people, His peculiar treasure. The people of Israel consider this to be a great honor, but most forget that there are some conditions involved…
There is a saying here in Israel, “What the eye does not see the heart does not grieve for.” But I do see, and therefore I grieve and cannot be silent.
Recently I had to pay a visit to the local medical clinic, and, as I am sure is the case ail over the world, I had to wait a very long time before I could see a doctor and receive treatment.
“Who is like unto thee, O Lord, among the gods?” (Ex. 15:11). Not many people know this truth; therefore they live their lives hoping that better times will come. They live in fear of the situations that surround them.
My dad obtained a position in a shoe store, but the working conditions there were uncomfortable, and this resulted in his becoming dissatisfied with life. One day a Jewish lady walked into the store and requested to see my father.
I was recently asked to visit an elderly man whose son is my friend. When I arrived at his home, I could immediately tell that he was very sick and that I had arrived in the last hours of his life.
It seems that there is always something new coming upon the scene, and in Israel our something new is a new holy one. He is a rabbi whose father, a very famous rabbi himself died about a year ago.
When I became a believer in Christ, I expected that those closest to me would also accept Him. Once they have the truth about Jesus, I reasoned, they will immediately open their hearts to Him.
As we all know, we are living in very interesting times, and here in Israel people are beginning to be interested in things which before they never thought about. The Jewish people have always followed after the faith of their fathers.
There are all kinds of people in the world. Some are happy – very happy – and some are very unhappy. And even some people who were happy a long time ago are now confused and don’t know what to do.
While going through a trying circumstance one will often hear, “Just pray about it, for you know prayer changes things!” One is left with the impression that God will alter the circumstances for good when prayer is offered in faith.
Everyday I thank the Lord that I can go on the streets with a smile on my face rather than thinking, as so many people are doing, how I can take revenge on the people who made trouble for me so long ago.
There is a very big competition raging in Israel at this time. It is not a competition in the business world, but something which has never been seen before in this nation – a competition to see who can bring more people to repentance.
There are many countries in the world, some big and some small, but there is only one country on earth where you can see signs all over, written in big letters, “WELCOME TO THE HOLY LAND.”
Many times I ask myself why I must move so often in my work. It is certainly not by my own choice, but it has been happening for years. One advantage to this constant changing of jobs…
How I thank the Lord that I can walk down the street with my head held high and not downcast, as is the case with so many people here in Israel.
Here in Israel we are facing new general elections, and it is almost like war. There is no consideration being shown. Instead, it is a wild competition. The people seem to be looking for a new king…
Here in this land, from which the Word of the Lord first came forth, it is especially important to preach the gospel of the Lord to those who are so deaf. They are not physically deaf…
There is a bad wind blowing around the Hebrew Christians in Israel these days. Many fanatical people have joined forces and have sworn to fight a holy war against those of us who have received the Lord as our Savior…
I am the vine, ye are the branches.. He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for without me ye can do nothing. John 15:5
I am the vine, ye are the branches. He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for without me ye can do nothing. John 15:5
It is a sad fact to acknowledge that the “church” has been the biggest barrier between Jesus and the Jewish people. The medieval church assumed all of the promises to the Jews and left nothing…
During my visit to North America in the spring, I met a very orthodox Jewish man. We spoke for only a few minutes, but in that short time we became friends.
Soon we will be celebrating the most important holidays in Israel, Rosh Hashana (New Year) and Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement). For those of us who know the Lord, this is no time to sleep.
I have many friends here in Jerusalem. Some of them are believers, while others are far away from the Lord, but since I have established contact with them, I feel it is important to maintain that contact.
Here in Israel, one of the most important places for communication is often a public bus. Many times you meet people you know as they are getting on or off, and sometimes you are very surprised at the people you meet.
We say that no ill is without its good. Every time a situation begins badly, I always pray, “O Lord, lead me and give me much patience so I can stand strong against the tribulations I face.”
I was reminded recently of the shortness of physical life. But because our souls are eternal, we all must prepare for eternity. For our physical bodies, we can purchase insurance.
I thank the Lord, for He is so, good. After a very long time of having three of our children away in the army, we recently had the family together again around the table.
Two of my sons and my daughter are not at home these days. They have gone to the north (Lebanese front) with the army. And now I have received a nice letter stating that the army wants me to go also, but I said, “Not this time!”
It is hard to live between the hammer and the anvil. In times such as this it is hard to know what to do in certain situations. There are people all around us with many troubles…
Here in Israel we have a special situation. There is much pressure from the north, south, east, and west. The wind is blowing from every direction, and we are in the center of the storm.
I would like to tell you about our Passover celebration last year. As in every other year, my home was completely full on the Passover evening. Ii was expecting about ten people, but many more than that came.
Sometimes we see things which are hard to believe, but we know they are so. It is also funny to see how grown people can be as children and speak like them. They can confuse folklore and Bible truths.
A few weeks ago I was thinking that I would like to go to the religious school, which is not far from my home, and give a witness about the Lord. Of course, I realized that this was impossible;
Here in Israel it seems we are paying taxes even for the air we breathe. The more we earn, the more taxes they take and, as if this is not enough, I was recently called to the tax office for an audit.
We often say that no ill is without its good, but until the good news comes we must usually go through many troubles. Even the worst people have some good in them, and I would like to tell you about one such person.
I would like to tell you about an opportunity I had just a few days ago. On my way home from work, for some “unknown” reason I went by a different way than I usually take.
Here in Israel, people are thinking about the political situation more than ever, and many people are leaving the country because of fear. They are wondering what will happen next.
I have been called up to the army once again and since I have been here I have received a nice new nickname – “revolutionary”. I didn’t know why they were calling me this…
I want to thank all of you for the wonderful time I recently had in America and for the friendships I made while there. It was so good to be in a place where people can openly sing “What a friend we have in Jesus”…
I don’t know how it is that so many people know about me here in Israel, but one evening as my family and I were returning home, two people stopped me…
Recently I was in Hebron where I met many tourists. They were looking at the graves of our forefathers, but their guide was not giving them the right information about the place.
Proselytism. Now there is a word that will quickly overheat the emotional systems of multitudes of Jewish people. It was the culprit instrumental in putting the much misunderstood “Anti-Missionary Law” on the books in Israel.
Here in Israel the people are looking forward to seeing the promises of Camp David become real. But where is the peace? War seems very near. Will the promises ever be kept?