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 whom I speak.
Recently, I had a long conversation about faith in Jesus with some boys I know. They came to me and asked to speak with me, as they remembered that we had spoken once before about faith in the Lord.
“We have questions about Scripture, and we want you to answer them as best as you can,” one of the boys said.
“I will do my best to give you the best answers,” I said.
These boys had grown up in strict ultra-Orthodox tradition and were searching for truth. I taught them that the truth is found not in the old, fictitious stories their rabbis told them but in the Holy Bible. I showed them my Bible and turned to the most important chapter, Deuteronomy 6, and I read verses 13 and 14 to them: “You shall fear the LORD your God and serve Him, and shall take oaths in His name. You shall not go after other gods, the gods of the peoples who are all around you.”
“What is more important for you, to follow what false teachers have said or what is written in the Holy Bible by the Holy Spirit of God?” I asked them.
“You have given us the best answer,” one boy said. “If we had gone to the rabbis, they would try to mislead us, as they have tried before. They come to our synagogue every morning to pray and call themselves holy. But we can see that they don’t obey the commands that they teach.”
I was impressed by the boys’ insight. I told them, “The best thing you can do is to invite them to come with you to speak with me.”
“We will invite them,” one boy answered. “Then we can have a friendly conversation with them.”
I had been waiting for this, but this was not the first time I had shared such an interaction with ultra-Orthodox boys. A year ago I had been invited to an Orthodox school. Speaking about me, the teacher said to her students, “Why does this man who calls himself an Israeli believe in This Man [Jesus]?” The teachers were forbidden to even say Jesus’ name.
Their question gave me a great opportunity to show them that we who believe in Christ are even more faithful to Israel than those who call themselves faithful to this land but reject our Messiah.
Now, more than a year later, some of these boys and their teacher saw me. The teacher said, “We would be very happy to have you come to our school again. Can you show us that you, who believe in Jesus, can be a good citizen of Israel?”
For many years I have faced danger to share these things with others who were waiting to trap me. But as we often say here, “If God wills it, a broom can shoot.” So, He opened this door for me to share my faith.
But the greatest surprise of all was yet to come. A few months later, a high-ranking officer from the army came to my home. He awarded me with a medal, one of the highest honors a soldier can receive, for my military service. Now, when someone tries to challenge my commitment to Israel on account of my faith, I show them my medal. Then, they change their tone and show me respect, as if we are old friends.
I also have been given opportunities to speak in many other schools and among Holocaust survivors because of my war service. I use these opportunities to teach them about my Lord and Savior, Jesus.
From The Friends of Israel archives
