Answering the Call
Four Friends of Israel workers share how they obeyed God’s call to “go into all the world and preach the gospel.”
Two millennia ago, God sent His Son, Jesus, on a mission of redemption that Jesus successfully completed on the cross at Calvary. Since then, God has sent people like you and me to tell others about His amazing gift of eternal life through faith in Christ. Whether He sends us far away or close to home, God calls each of us to “go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mk. 16:15). And He often gives each of us a different burden.
For 86 years, through The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry (FOI), God has sent ordinary individuals with a passion for His Word and compassion for His Chosen People to take the holy Scriptures to them. Each one has his or her own story. Here are four FOI workers’ stories that we hope will inspire you.
Doing What Matters Most
“When I professed faith in Jesus at eight years of age, the Holy Spirit convicted me to share the gospel freely and often. As I grew older, the Lord gave me a wife (Laura), children, and an electrical business that supported us. I felt really blessed.
“Yet, I could never shake the dissatisfaction of spending so many hours of my life not doing what I felt mattered most—sharing the gospel and discipling people in the Word of God. So, I taught Sunday school and preached in the pulpit. My mother paid for Laura and me to travel to Israel in 2007. Laura and I felt that God might reveal the full-time ministry He had for us on that trip. We enjoyed the usual tour activities, visiting biblical sites and walking where Jesus walked; but we didn’t find immediate confirmation of His calling.
“All that changed when we visited the Western Wall in Jerusalem and saw hundreds of Jewish people wearing their black, ultra-Orthodox clothing and reciting their prayers, waiting for their Messiah to come. Our hearts broke because we knew the Messiah already came. The Jewish people are God’s Chosen People, and we wanted to serve Him and minister to them.
“When we returned home, we shut down my business, rented out our Michigan house, and moved with our four children to Philadelphia to study at The Friends of Israel’s Institute of Jewish Studies (IJS*). After graduation, the Lord directed us to Los Angeles, California, where we serve and minister to His Chosen People today.”
—Nathan Montgomery,
field representative in Los Angeles, California
Following a Passion
“My journey with Jesus began in 7th grade when I committed my life to Christ. At that time, I knew I wanted to serve Him, though I wasn’t sure where my path would lead. I entertained dreams of becoming a pastor or Bible professor.
“A few years later, I met Sam and Jonathan Herzig through our church youth group. Their home soon became my second home. Their parents, Steve and Alice, ever hospitable, always welcomed me and often invited me to stay for dinner.
“I shared with Steve my plans to attend Philadelphia College of Bible (PCB, now Cairn University) and my desire to pursue ministry. He encouraged me to enroll in IJS during my freshman year at PCB. Initially, I viewed IJS as a way to earn extra college credits and spend time with friends. But God had bigger plans. He stirred my heart to share Messiah’s love with my Jewish friends, a calling that has remained with me ever since.
“I also felt burdened to teach other believers about the Jewish roots of their faith in Christ. It has been eye-opening to discover how few Christians understand the Jewishness of Jesus, the gospel, salvation, and our Scriptures.
“Twenty-four years later, I still wake up every morning excited to share the gospel of Jesus the Messiah and to highlight the Jewishness of our faith.”
—Chris Katulka,
director of North American Ministries
Leaving Everything Behind
“Growing up, I knew nothing about Scripture; and my family never set foot in church. Once I became a believer at age 20, I couldn’t get enough of God’s Word. Having never before given God more than a passing thought, now I was reconciled to Him with the promise of eternal life. Yet, so many Jewish people went to synagogue regularly and worked to keep God’s Law while remaining lost in their sins.
“I was convicted by Jesus’ words to His Jewish kinsmen:
Not everyone who says to Me, “Lord, Lord,” shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, “Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?” And then I will declare to them, “I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!” (Mt. 7:21–23).
“When I was single and in my late 20s, my passion to know the Lord and enable the Jewish people to know Him led me to leave everything behind and drive almost 3,000 miles to attend IJS. The year I spent there was one of the most spiritually formative of my life. It fostered my desire to serve in Jewish ministry and taught me how important biblical theology is for living a godly life.
“I didn’t have any idea what I would do after completing the IJS program, but God knew. I joined the FOI staff in September 2000 and have enjoyed serving with this ministry ever since in a variety of capacities. One of my greatest joys is to be part of a team that produces faithful, biblical content that transforms lives for God’s glory.”
—Lisa Small,
director of Media Ministries
Ministering Like Paul and Timothy
“My family moved from Poland to Russia when I was 14 years old. I didn’t know the Russian language, and the country seemed strange and dangerous. For three years we lived in St. Petersburg, ministering to the Jewish people. I often went with my father, an FOI representative, to visit them. Many lived in horrible conditions, and some were Holocaust survivors.
“My father frequently told me, ‘We are here to obey God’s commandment: “‘Comfort, yes, comfort My people!’ says your God”’ (Isa. 40:1). We obeyed this command in many ways, such as by bringing food to the needy, fixing broken refrigerators, or praying for someone’s health or for his or her family members.
“Before my 18th birthday, my father passed away; and I was faced with a huge decision. FOI offered me an opportunity to study at IJS in the United States. I knew I wanted to serve the Jewish people, but I had no idea God would call me to full-time ministry so quickly.
“My father once told me that he prayed I would follow him in his ministry as Timothy followed the apostle Paul. My father’s name was Paul, and my name is Timothy. Today, I serve the Jewish people in Eastern Europe with FOI. Praise the Lord!”
—Timothy Rabinek
field representative in Warsaw, Poland
Not all believers are called to FOI or full-time ministry. But as the Father sent Jesus, He also sends us out into the world.
Inspired by Jesus’ declaration, “Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you” (Jn. 20:21, KJV), Canadian schoolteacher Margaret Clarkson wrote the hymn “So Send I You,” regarded by many as the greatest missionary song of the 20th century. Eager to hear His call to send them, believers should ask, “What do you want me to do, Lord?”
*IJS was a wonderful Bible school that required a student’s physical presence in a classroom in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Today, it operates as a free, online classroom through the FOI Equip program. Equip offers valuable, biblical teaching available to anyone, anytime. Sign up at foiequip.org to access all our courses, along with each instructor’s notes and slide presentations. Maybe you will hear God call you to take the Good News to those near you or around the world.
