From the Editor Jul/Aug 2026
Growing up with my father as my pastor provided me many unique experiences. For example, I had access to our church facilities beyond the…
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Inside View Jul/Aug 2026
Did you know that The Friends of Israel (FOI) staff regularly prays for you? When you contact FOI and share prayer requests with us…
Balak’s Bidding
In the book of Numbers, Balak, king of Moab, was terrified of Israel. He saw the Israelites not as a people under God’s care, but as a threat…
‘Turkey Is the New Iran’
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan recently said that Turkey “may be forced” to acquire nuclear weapons to…
The Friends of Israel in Action Jul/Aug 2026
When war comes knocking at our doors, how should we Christians live out our faith? Although most of us Westerners have…
The Cross as Bludgeon
A historic Jackson, Mississippi, synagogue was set on fire earlier this year by a young man who claimed to be a Christian. Unfortunately, many people…
Don’t Look Back
My friend recently told me he felt discouraged because of several personnel changes at his workplace. Many of the people with whom he…
Solomon’s Temple
Jerusalem is often called a holy city, but its holiness does not come from the events that happened within it. It comes from God Himself, who made it…
From Babylon to Rome
Like bookends, sorrow frames the history of the Second Temple. When its foundation was laid following the return of some of the Jewish exiles from…
The Nearness of God
Believers in Messiah Jesus constitute a different type of temple and can worship God any time and any place because of a special gift: the indwelling Holy Spirit…
What Was Paul’s Thorn in the Flesh?
The apostle Paul wrote, “And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations…
The Tribulation Temple
In the future, a rebuilt Temple in Jerusalem will become the site of the horrific “abomination of desolation.”…
Prepping for the Coming Temple
Since 1967, when Israel regained control of the Temple Mount, and 1987, when the Temple Movement…
The Amazing Prophecy of the 70 Weeks of Daniel
When the Jewish prophet Daniel was taken into exile in Babylon in 605 BC, Solomon’s…
The Fourth and Final Temple
Although our great God and Creator is everywhere all the time, He has chosen throughout history to…
God Is With Us
When David became king, one of his first acts was to usher God’s presence into Jerusalem. In this context, the Lord stated, “I have not dwelt in a…
Paul’s Concern for Converts
The apostle Paul cared deeply for his fellow believers. He labored in ministry not only for people he personally led to the…
When ‘Why’ Goes Unanswered
I consider Job 4:1 to be one of the saddest verses in all of Scripture. It begins, “Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and…
Jewish World Update Jul/Aug 2026
Tehran’s aggression against Gulf nations—including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and even Qatar…
Apples of Gold Jul/Aug 2026
We in Israel who are believers in Jesus are surrounded by people who come to make trouble for us. There are many of them, and they are loud…
From the Editor May/Jun 2026
As I write from my desk in New Jersey, I am at peace. Strangers aren’t picking fights with me. Soldiers aren’t lying in wait to kill me. I have no reason to…
Inside View May/Jun 2026
If I had met Eli Sharabi before Hamas’s massacre in southern Israel on October 7, 2023, I might have had a much different story to tell you. Perhaps he…
From One Hostage Crisis to Another
Israel turned a painful page in January when it received the body of Ran Gvili, the final remaining hostage Hamas…
Israel and Saudi Arabia Rapidly Drifting Apart
Prospects are fading for a deal to normalize relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia. Over the past several years…
The Friends of Israel in Action May/Jun 2026
Tom Simcox, a representative with The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry (FOI), lives by a simple conviction: Every moment…
Antisemitism in the Big Apple
From lox and bagels to Broadway to the sitcom Seinfeld, the Jewish people and New York City go hand…
The Love of God Above
On my dining room wall hangs a framed canvas featuring the artistically arranged words of the third verse from the beloved, well-known hymn…
‘They Shall Inherit the Land Forever’
For 4,000 years, Israel has been surrounded by those who hate it. Even after God scattered the Jewish people among…
The Mysterious Land of Egypt
Egypt is a majestic land with an astonishing history. Much of antiquity can be traced through this ancient homeland of the…
Jordan: A Bright Spot—So Far
Of the four countries that directly border Israel (Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Egypt), Jordan appears to have the best…
Syria: Israel’s Implacable Adversary
Israel’s relationship with Syria has been a rocky one, to put it mildly. Though the modern iterations of both countries have…
The Confusion That Is Lebanon
How does a country like Lebanon—once known as the Switzerland of the Middle East, with a cosmopolitan capital that…
The Story of Yemen’s Jews
Prior to 2023, few Westerners probably heard much about the Houthis—or the country of Yemen. About 25% larger than…
Iran’s Islamic Crusade
Although Iran does not border Israel and is located approximately 1,000 miles to the east, it is one of Israel’s fiercest enemies, with an established timeline of…
What Does Matthew 24:13–14 Mean?
Before leaving the Temple for the final time, Jesus chastised the Jewish leaders, saying, “See! Your house is left to you desolate”…
Tuning the Song of Songs
While King Solomon spoke 3,000 proverbs and wrote 1,005 songs (1 Ki. 4:32), only 800 of his proverbs (book of Proverbs) and…
The Priority of Paul’s Ministry
Before the apostle Paul’s salvation, he was continually “breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord”…
The Sanctification Paradox
The apostle from Tarsus was a man single-minded in his pursuits. To know Jesus Christ and to be like Him…
Jewish World Update May/Jun 2026
For years, the Palestinian Authority (PA) has pretended to halt its pay-for-slay program in order to hoodwink international donors…
Apples of Gold May/Jun 2026
High school administrators have called me many times over the years to ask me to speak to the students. They want to know how I…
From the Editor Mar/Apr 2026
When I was in Bible college, I had a professor who taught about the Jewish patriarchs in the line of the Messiah. As we studied the missteps of each of…
Inside View Mar/Apr 2026
It was the spring of 1990 when I first set foot in Israel. As a teenager, I spent 16 unforgettable days with The Friends of Israel…
Exposing the Great Shapeshifter
I have often heard evangelicals insist that antisemitism is more than prejudice—that it is spiritual warfare, a satanic assault…
Israel and Lebanon Begin Direct Negotiations
Israel and Lebanon recently held their first direct diplomatic talks in more than three decades…
The Friends of Israel in Action Mar/Apr 2026
As we do each year, our Friends of Israel (FOI) ministry teams in Poland and other Eastern European countries will…
Terror in the UK
Muslim migration to the United Kingdom (UK) has made Islam the second largest religion there. Muslims outnumber Jews 13 to 1…
Standing on the Promises
Schoolteacher Dr. Everek R. Storms once set out on a quest to discover how many promises were given in Scripture…
The Unusual Suspects
When Jesus took on human form, humanity received a glimpse of heaven on Earth. The sinless Son of God had descended to dwell among the sinful…
Abraham: The Friend of God
If Moses is the lawgiver of the Jewish people, then Abraham is the trailblazer of their faith and the foundation of their monotheism…
Jacob: The So-Called Deceiver
The court of public opinion can be a harsh critic. This observation seems particularly true in the case of the patriarch Jacob…
Judah: The Sinner’s Scepter
Lying on his deathbed, Jacob gathered his 12 sons, each distinctly identified from the others. One by one, he blessed them…
Rahab: The Harlot of Jericho
I am sometimes amused at the Bible’s ability to shock people. Although it’s often perceived as a religious book chock-full of pious…
David: The Strikeout King
2,597 strikeouts. Two thousand, five hundred ninety-seven! How can a hitter who struck out more than 2,500 times be considered great?
Solomon: Wisdom and Folly
You would hardly expect a wise king to embrace madness in his search for meaning, yet this enterprise was part of…
What Is a Christian’s Hope?
Hope, when defined generally as an optimistic desire or wish for something to happen, is shared in some form…
Uzziah and Manasseh: Pride and Apostasy
Two kings. Two lives. Two legacies: one marked by pride, the other by apostasy. Both kings stand in the Messiah’s lineage…
Jeconiah: The Cursed King
The apostle Matthew began his Gospel by detailing Jesus’ Messianic credentials as “the Son of David, the Son of…
Hezekiah and Josiah: The Importance of Depending on God
Hezekiah and his great-grandson, Josiah, were godly kings of Judah…
Mary and Joseph: A Special Couple
Most of the things written about our Lord’s earthly parents have been positive, and for good reason!
The Tolerance of Idolatry (Part 2)
In the 21st century, idolatry takes many forms. Whether through technology, industrialization, or hedonism…
The Supremacy of Christ
If Jesus’ life had begun when He was born in Bethlehem, He would have been merely a human being, like all other men….
The Fixer of the Broken
One evening, as the story goes, the Smith family hosted the Johnson family for dinner in their home. While the parents…
Jewish World Update Mar/Apr 2026
Newly released documents reveal how Hamas exploited international humanitarian organizations in Gaza…
Apples of Gold Mar/Apr 2026
Some of the ultra-Orthodox, mostly young boys, come to my house to persecute my family and me because of our faith in Jesus…
From the Editor Jan/Feb 2026
It took more than two years; but, finally, Israel has won the war in Gaza. The Jewish state decisively trounced Hamas, which ravaged southern Israel…
Inside View Jan/Feb 2026
For many years, “Inside View” has been a place for Friends of Israel (FOI) President Jim Showers to share his heart and vision with you…
Even Hitler Knew When the War Was Lost
Before taking his own life on April 30, 1945, Adolf Hitler appointed…
Iran Opens New Front Against Israel
The Israeli security agency Shin Bet recently foiled an attempt by Iran to smuggle large amounts of advanced weapons to…
The Friends of Israel in Action Jan/Feb 2026
Life in Alaska teaches you always to expect the unexpected. For Friends of Israel (FOI) representatives Luke and Sarah Stewart…
The Crime of Singing in Hebrew
A chilling video circulating online shows a young woman being pinned against the floor of an airport as Spanish police…
‘I Will Never See Her Again!’
My wife’s cousin Peggy was a cherished member of our family and a dear friend. As Peggy approached her senior years…
Amos: The Man and the Message
The best of times had finally descended on Israel and Judah—and not a moment too soon. Ever since the Jewish kingdom’s…
Punishing the Punishers (Amos 1:2—2:3)
Today’s world is quick to hate Israel. Anti-Israel forces continuously make false accusations against the Jewish nation…
The Point of No Return
On the bank of the American side of the Niagara River, in the state of New York, an ominous sign stands guard. Large letters proclaim, “Danger….
The 5 Visions of Amos (Amos 7:1—9:10)
Amos provided a picture of divine judgment to induce national repentance. Chapters 7 through 9:10 in the book of Amos…
What Does It Mean to ‘Work Out Your Own Salvation’?
In his letter to the Philippians, the apostle Paul wrote, “Therefore, my beloved…
Raise Up, Rebuild, Restore (Amos 9:11-15)
One of the clearest, most precious promises in the Old Testament appears in the book of Amos…
The Church Is Not Israel
The Jerusalem Council in Acts 15 was a watershed event for God’s fledgling church. Thousands had come to faith in Christ…
The Tolerance of Idolatry (Part 1)
The current culture seems to do all it can to replace God with things that are not God. The trend toward artificial intelligence…
Christ’s Preeminence
If you were to ask a group of Christians which passage in the Bible best describes Jesus Christ, you would receive many different answers…
A Quiet Life Speaks Volumes
“Mom, what’s a YouTuber?” The question came from my 9-year-old son as I was busy making dinner one night…
Jewish World Update Jan/Feb 2026
October 13, 2025, was a day of great celebration. Twenty Israelis who had spent two years as hostages…
Apples of Gold Jan/Feb 2026
I will never forget my first days serving with The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry. Those days were 50 years ago, but they still feel like yesterday…
From the Editor Nov/Dec 2025
Panic covered my young daughter’s face. Her knuckles turned white as she gripped the monkey bars above her head, her legs dangling beneath her…
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…
The Failed Experiment in Palestinian Democracy
In August 2005, Israel made a decision that ultimately reshaped the Middle East…
Burying the Idea of a Palestinian State
The Israeli government recently announced plans to implement a long-delayed building project that would split the West Bank…
The Friends of Israel in Action Nov/Dec 2025
Europe’s Muslim population has risen steadily for years, and some researchers estimate that the population of more…
Ivy League Bigotry
Deborah Lipstadt, formerly the United States’ Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism, was invited to teach at Columbia University for a semester…
Are Birthday Celebrations Biblical?
Most people love birthdays. But some abstain from celebrating them—even Jesus’ birthday. What does the Bible have to say…
He Rules the World With Truth and Grace
When it comes to God’s sovereignty, the Enemy peddles two great lies—and people believe them…
How Can a Good God Use Evil?
The patriarch Joseph told his brothers, “But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to…
How Antisemites Are Turning Good News Into Bad News
Christ is King! That joyful statement of truth for the faithful in Jesus has been…
More Valuable Than Sparrows
God cares about every detail of our lives, and submitting to His sovereign plan leads to life everlasting…
Why Shouldn’t I Live the Way I Want?
My 11-year-old son sat in the corner of the room, eyes down, disengaged from the family, while music and new toys…
Who Is Melchizedek?
The author of the book of Hebrews presented Christ as High Priest “according to the order of Melchizedek” (Heb. 7:17). Much controversy has revolved around…
No Higher Power
A cursory look at the world might suggest that Satan, not God, controls everything. Wars, human trafficking, rampant crime and exploitation—to name just a few…
Absalom in Archaeology (Part 2)
Skeptics have tried to disprove the Bible’s historicity, including the account of Israel’s King David, in many ways…