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…
SALVATION
How Were People Saved in the Old Testament?
When Adam and Eve first sinned, God promised that one of Eve’s…
Are Christians Eternally Secure?
Many Christians are not certain they will enjoy eternal life when they die. Some doubt because they have neglected to…
Paul’s Testimony
Contending for the faith is not easy. It’s an unpopular, perilous, thankless job. It is more pleasant to be an appeaser than an opposer…
From the Editor Mar/Apr 2024
I disobeyed my parents many times as a child. They were habitually gracious in their admonition. But on one occasion, I misbehaved so severely that…
The Truth About Sin
The world is filled with iniquity. The evil we see overtaking the world today proves yet again the truth of Scripture: “The heart is deceitful…
The Mystery of Salvation for the Gentiles
When Jesus was on Earth, He told His disciples, “Do not go into the way of…
I’m Forgiven—Now What?
If you have placed your faith in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, you may be wondering about the practical implications…
The Way Back to God
Few believers in Jesus Christ will deny that we have been swept up in a period of chaos and confusion that threatens the survival of our nation…
How to Become Right With God
“How do I become right with God?” is neither a Jewish question nor a Gentile one. It is a human question…
Words of Warning
Life is full of warnings. The Internet, TV, and billboards bombard us regularly with warnings, telling us what to think, believe, and do…
One Righteous Christmas Present!
Remember a television commercial that goes like this? A woman steps out of her house on a snow-covered morning…
From the Editor Sep/Oct 2023
Hymns have a unique staying power. If you grew up singing hymns in your church, I’m sure you can attest to this fact. The sweet words of these songs…
Signed, Sealed, Delivered
Most people want a stamp of affirmation when they complete a transaction. All types of affirmation exist…
The Difference Between ‘Do’ and ‘Done’
If you’re like me, you examine the guarantee offered when you buy a product. The better the guarantee, the more confident you are…
In Jesus’ Words
For many who come to faith in Jesus Christ, the phrase once saved, always saved plays an integral part in their discipleship. For others, eternal security is a false teaching…
Unconfused!
Paul and Peter wrote 59 percent of the New Testament’s 27 books. Paul wrote 14 (some people believe he also wrote Hebrews), and Peter wrote two…
4 Common Misconceptions About Eternal Security
As I sat at a sidewalk café with a parishioner and her husband one sunny afternoon…
The Rest of the Story
Christians around the world eagerly await the Christmas season, and my wife and I are no exception. One of our favorite activities this time of year is to take a…
The Child and the Seed
It has been said the key to all Messianic prophecy hangs at the Bible’s front door and was given by God to that “old serpent, the Devil…”
Inside View May/Jun 2022
I hate to think what this world would be like without Israel. Have you noticed that ads to help feed children in Africa, common in the 1980s and 1990s, are seldom seen…
3 Reasons Why I Support Israel
When I was a freshman in college, I learned a valuable lesson. My professor, Dr. Herb Hirt, told us never to read the…
‘It Is Finished!’
It was 12 o’clock noon in Jerusalem, the time for the Passover sacrifices to begin. An unusual darkness covered the land (Mt. 27:45; Mk. 15:33)…
Isaiah 52:13—53:12
Behold, My Servant shall deal prudently; He shall be exalted and extolled and be very high. Just as many were astonished at you, so His visage was…
Outline of Isaiah 52:13—53:12
I. THE Servant’s SUPREMACY (52:13–15) A. The Servant’s prudence (v. 13) B. The Servant praised (v. 13) C. The Servant persecuted…
God’s Awesome, Immutable Plan
In the 1980s, an action-adventure television series used a catchphrase that has long outlived the show: “I love it when…
God’s Alarm System
Alarms call us to action. We have fire alarms, weather alarms, alarm clocks, and personal electronic devices with alarms. During biblical times, Israel also sounded an alarm…
From the Editor Jul/Aug 2021
Who among us, at one time or another, has not questioned God? Why, Lord, did You let my baby die? Why didn’t You heal my child? Why do You allow Christians to…
The Friends of Israel in Action Jul/Aug 2021
It was a beautifully mild, sunny, spring day when our field representative Dr. Juan Carlos Espinoza set up his table in a local park…
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 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…
The Friends of Israel in Action May/Jun 2021
God is not hampered by borders! Here in The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry’s International Department…
From Death to Life
Population 4.18 million. Situated like a jewel by the beautiful Mediterranean Sea, it beckons to tourists from around the world to enjoy its nonstop nightlife…
Three Spiritual Journeys
I was born into a Christian home and grew up learning about God and His Word. As an 8-year-old in summer Bible school…
Getting the ‘Package Deal’
“What do you mean you became a Christian at 21? Aren’t you a pastor’s daughter?” an older gentleman asked 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…
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…
The Friends of Israel in Action Mar/Apr 2021
Nurith had hit rock bottom in her life. Her husband had suffered a severe stroke, and she was dealing with loneliness…
The Friends of Israel in Action Jan/Feb 2021
COVID-19 hasn’t stopped the progress of the gospel in Jerusalem. Our field representative, Meno Kalisher, senior pastor of the…
Inside View Nov/Dec 2020
When we tour Israel each spring and fall, we always visit Galilee. Why? Because much of Jesus’ ministry occurred there. Following His first miracle…
A Birthday Party for the Ages
When I was growing up, Christmas was like a Norman Rockwell painting. We always had a real pine tree…
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…
Building on Jesus
In October 2018, a massive Category 5 hurricane side-swiped the Hawaiian Islands. Named Walaka, it was one of the most intense hurricanes ever recorded in…
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 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…
Meaningless?
A favorite site on any Holy Land tour is Caesarea Maritima. The views alone from this ancient port city are breathtaking. Situated on the Mediterranean Sea…
The Gift of ‘No More…’
When my twin brother, a minister of the gospel, was dying from cancer last year, we were all praying God would somehow push back the awful disease…
The Greatest Family Gathering of All
I grew up the eldest of three sons. One month before I was born, my parents buried my older brother…
How to Get to Heaven
The climax to the popular animated Christmas movie The Polar Express is the song “Believe” sung by Josh Groban, in which he repeats the phrase…
Standing Secure in Christ
False teaching had shaken the Thessalonians’ faith. It had persuaded them they were living in the Day of the Lord…
Good Works & Salvation
We believe all human beings are sinners (Rom. 3:23), possessing active sin natures that result in our physical and spiritual deaths…
Q: What is the sin leading to death?
The apostle John told Christians, “If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin which does not lead to death, he will ask, and He will give him…
Someone to Believe In
My wife enjoys watching Antiques Roadshow, a popular television program where appraisers provide the monetary value of something you may have had in your attic…
Redefining the Gospel
When our children were young, my wife and I would take them every October 31 to the storage shed behind our house. They each brought a sheet of paper on which they had written…
Redeemed
How the great faith of a Canaanite woman saved both her and her entire family. Few people hang skeletons on their front doors. But that’s exactly what the New Testament does. The book of Matthew opens with the genealogy of Jesus, which includes…
What Grace Can Do
God is the author of history; it’s His story. In God’s sovereign plan, He “works all things according to the counsel of His will” (Eph. 1:11). That’s why some call God’s providence “the hand of God in the glove of history.”
A Christmas Message
More than 19 centuries have passed since the memorable night when an angel of the Lord brought the heavenly message to the shepherds tending their sheep upon the hills of Judea.
Apples of Gold Nov/Dec 2017
We often say in Israel, “If the mountain will not come to Muhammad, then Muhammad must go to the mountain.” Every Friday night, Orthodox women go door to door, trying to convince people to observe the Sabbath.
Apples of Gold Jul/Aug 2017
After many years of working hard to transform Israel’s desert into a fruitful land, we now live in nice towns. The land’s transformation has brought many new immigrants to Israel. They speak many languages and are highly educated, but they do not know the Bible.
Apples of Gold Jan/Feb 2017
Here in Israel, most people know the Hebrew song “Ani Ma’amin,” or “I Believe.” In English, the lyrics read, “I believe with complete faith in the coming of the Messiah. I believe.” Recently I visited an ultra-Orthodox synagogue…
The God Factor
In October I read about the stealthy removal by night of the Ten Commandments monument from the grounds of the Oklahoma Capitol in Oklahoma City after the state’s Supreme Court…
The Permanence of the Promise
Some people maintain Romans 9—11 is a digression. However, as Bible scholar Thomas R. Schreiner noted, “The idea that these chapters disrupt the argument of the epistle has all but vanished today…
Mission Impossible Romans 9:30–10:21
On my first day of college many years ago, I met a Gentile who was “born again.” He presented Jesus Christ as Savior and the only way to heaven and told me…
It’s Not Over Yet Romans 11:25–36
Unfortunately, many people do not understand what the Bible teaches about Israel. God loves the Jewish people; and, according to Romans 11:25–36, His redemptive plan for them is not over yet.
He Still Seeks and Saves
Tears streamed down Sandy Yao’s face as she stood by her mother’s bed. God felt so far away. She had trusted His Son as her Savior. She believed God had opened the door…
Confidence in God
1 John 5:13–21: Some Christians lack assurance that they are truly born again. Certainty about one’s salvation comes through knowing what God’s Word teaches. The apostle John’s major focus…
Apples of Gold May/Jun 2015
I was recently asked to visit an elderly man whose son is my friend. When I arrived at his home, I could see he was extremely sick and that I had arrived in the last hours of…
A Reason for Living
Christmastime is the season of love, friends, and family. A time to host large gatherings and hope your favorite gravy boat doesn’t end up a casualty. Or a time to go to the store…
What Is the Gospel?
If you were to die tonight, do you know for certain you would go to heaven? I’ve heard all types of answers to this question: “I don’t believe in heaven.” “I think I’m going to heaven….
Apples of Gold Jul/Aug 2014
We must hold on to this land, otherwise they shall completely drive us into the sea. The Lord has promised this land to our people, and there is no power in the world that…
Inside View May/Jun 2014
Life is filled with questions. Questions help us focus on a subject and motivate us to seek answers. Many questions are simple; others can be complex. Arguably, the…
The Garden Tomb
North of the Damascus Gate of Jerusalem’s Old City is a peaceful burial cave called the Garden Tomb. A peasant first discovered it in 1867. In 1874 a German missionary…
Assault at Gethsemane
After eating His last supper, Jesus and His disciples crossed the Kidron Valley and came to a familiar garden of olive trees known as Gethsemane. Called in Hebrew Gat Shemanim…
The Greatest Sacrifice
With Passover beginning at sundown on April 14, grocery stores are stocking up on kosher items. Kosher literally means “fit and suitable,” and the laws of kashrut tell…
The Road to the Cross
Are you ever tempted to doubt God’s love for you? Perhaps you’ve lost a loved one, heard bad news from your doctor, or face some nagging temptation yet again. “God,” you agonize…
Beyond the Veil
For ages God has been inviting people to seek Him. Yet, at the same time, He made it clear that it was impossible to enter His presence. When Moses asked to see…
If That Isn’t Love
It doesn’t take long for people to realize how much I love my little dog, Herbie. If I could, I’d take him with me everywhere. Herbie helped me understand how difficult it is for families to lose…
While We Were Still Sinners
I will never forget the day I visited the infamous Dandora Dump on the outskirts of Nairobi, Kenya. The stench overwhelmed me as I witnessed young children scouring smoking mountains of toxic…
We Beheld His Glory
At Christmas we celebrate what may be the single most remarkable and mysterious event in all of history—the incarnation of Jesus Christ. God sent his Son to be born of a virgin, that He…
How Much is ‘So’?
Psalm 103:11 is a marvel to meditate: “For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him.” Many people have expounded on this verse to show…
The Grace of God Part Seven
In Acts 20:24 the apostle Paul referred to his purpose in life: “that I may finish my race with joy.” The Greek word translated finish means “to fulfill” or to carry out “a required course in…
God’s Provision for Sin
1 John 2:1–2: God is light (1 Jn. 1:5). Light defines and describes God’s true nature and symbolizes His purity, character, and glory. To have true fellowship with God, Christians must…
The Grace of God Part Six
Because of God’s grace, the church was able to grow. This article on the grace of God in the New Testament will observe how God, through grace, administered His eternal, moral absolutes over…
The Changing Face of America
Drive through almost any town in America on a Sunday morning and you’ll see church parking lots filled with cars. Yet a cultural revolution is taking…
What Are We Searching For?
For several years Google has displayed on YouTube, its Internet video platform, an end-of-the-year review in images, photographs, and news…
The Seven Keys to History Part Six
Of all the events that have shaped history, there have been none more important than the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. God’s ultimate solution to sin…
The Seven Keys to History Part Five
We live in a world that is deeply influenced by evolution and supposed scientific theory. To have a rightly ordered life, we must understand (1) God is the Creator…
The Greatness of the Gospel
God knows what we need better than we do. And He has provided abundantly for us in many ways, as you’ll see here.
When the Roll is Called Up Yonder
It was Sunday afternoon, and my grandmother and I were seated comfortably in the high school gym waiting for the movie to begin. I was 9 years old and had no…
The Seven Keys to History Part Three
Have you ever heard the expression “the then world”? It comes from 2 Peter 3: For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old…
The Seven Keys to History Part Two
The entire world lives on a seven-day cycle that was God’s design and creation: In six days He created the world, and on the seventh He rested. Genesis 1 says…
Chester and the True Gospel of Christ
Chester tried and tried to change his ways, but he always failed. His life included drugs, alcohol, immorality, broken relationships, gambling, lying, and other evils. He had divorced his wife…
The Gospel According to Isaiah
Many people think the gospel is strictly a New Testament phenomenon. However, the elements of sin, repen- tance, and faith in God alone are con- tained in the book of Isaiah.
The Great Solution: The Resurrection of Jesus Christ
On Easter Sunday we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. What a great day it is for believers to rejoice together. The world doesn’t comprehend it, and that’s a pity…
How to Have Faith
What is faith? How do you know if you have it? Will it do what you hope it will do? People exercise faith every day without realizing it. They go to doctors…
Is There a Way Back?
The story of the Gospels is the wonderful news of what Jesus did for us. But the anti-Christ forces in America are power- ful. There is an antidote, and it’s the same one God prescribed for ancient Israel.
Baptism and Indwelling
New Covenant believers must be careful not to look with disdain on what God did with His people in ages past. In fact, Yahweh proved Himself blindingly gracious under the Old Covenant…
Fishers of Men
It may surprise you how much work goes into maintaining a fisherman’s net . . . regardless of what you’re fishing for.