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.

The ultra-Orthodox organizations here take advantage of these immigrants and proselytize them. They are not persecuted for doing so. But we Jewish Christians are persecuted for sharing our faith, yet our congregation is growing.

Ultra-Orthodox men go from house to house, warning newcomers to avoid contact with people who believe in Christ. Since I live among many of the immigrants and speak their languages, we have many nice, long conversations about faith and the Bible. Often, we arrive at the subject of Christ.

Our conversations always remain friendly. I never approach anyone and say, “You must believe in Christ!” The ultra-Orthodox try to reach people in such a demanding way to persuade them to their way of thinking, but I merely show people what the Bible says.

Recently, I asked some of these immigrants, “Have you heard about the Bible?”

One answered, “Of course! It is the most important book of all time, especially for us Jewish people.” We began talking about what is written in God’s Holy Word.
Then one declared, “But we must be very careful to avoid those who try to make us Christians.”

I try to be patient with people who are suspicious of Christians. As it is written in 2 Timothy 2:24, “A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient.”

I handed them a Bible and said, “Read, and you will see with your own eyes that those who come to you trying to warn you about Christians are blind. They will never come to you with the Holy Bible, which was inspired by the Holy Spirit. Instead, they come with fictitious stories written by men who consider themselves wise in the Law. Have any of them ever come to you with the Bible?”

“No, none of them,” one replied.

“That is because they have believed in their many teachers, who teach them error,” I said. “You are on your way to becoming their sheep—people who follow them. But now you have a chance to know the full truth, which you can find only in the Holy Scriptures.”

They earnestly began to ask me questions. One asked, “What is the most important part of the Bible to read?”

I told them we first must understand there is only one God, as it is written in Deuteronomy 6:4, a verse many Jewish people pray three times a day. Second, I told them we must know on whom the Lord has laid our iniquity, as it is written in Isaiah 53:6: “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”

As I quoted Isaiah, several passersby joined our conversation and accused me of spreading Christianity. Unlike the immigrants, they have lived in Israel a long time and studied in an Orthodox yeshiva. The immigrants did not know what to say concerning their accusations toward me.

I told my accusers, “Have a good look at this book, and tell me from which book I have read. Which book is more important—the Holy Bible, or one containing those old, traditional, rabbinical stories?”

Of course, all of them said the Bible is more important. Then they began to ask me many questions. One in particular I have heard many times before: “How can you speak about faith with no beard or special clothing?”

“Your teachers wear camouflage, which is a diversionary tactic. The Lord wants us to come before Him not with camouflage, but with open hearts,” I said.
Pray these people will turn to the Word of God and give their hearts to the God of Israel.

The Friends of Israel Archives,
July 2004

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Features

Antique fountain pen on parchment.

From the Editor Jul/Aug 2017

Every Wednesday, we have chapel at The Friends of Israel headquarters. It’s a wonderful time when we pray together, hear a brief message, and sometimes connect via Skype with one of our workers overseas who...

FOI Canada Goes Up to Jerusalem

A look at the first-ever FOI Canada Up to Jerusalem trip to Israel and some of the wonderful experiences God provided. It is eleven days’ journey from Horeb by way of Mount Seir to Kadesh Barnea. Sounds simple enough. Forty years later...

A Trail of Carcasses

Camped at Sinai for 12 months, the fledgling nation of Israel received God’s Law, constructed His Tabernacle, and established the Levitical priesthood. It had great dreams and high expectations of entering a land that flowed “with milk and honey” as it set out from...

Rebels Without a Cause

It didn't go well for Korah and crew when they complained against God. In fact, the ended up in what people today might call a giant sinkhole. Anyone who knows a little Yiddish probably knows the word kvetch. It means complain and whine habitually.

The Covert Conspiracy

Many things happen behind the scenes that affect our lives and the history of nations. The Israelites fell prey to the enemy's devices, and it cost them dearly. If you think you know everything going on around you, think again. Life is not always what it seems. Sometimes circumstances are orchestrated...

Satisfying God’s Wrath

The biblical doctrine of propitiation is under attack in our culture. Adherents of postmodernism and even some people within the church have rejected biblical teachings they perceive to be too harsh—such as judgment, hell, and the doctrine of propitiation.


Share Your Story.
Has God used The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry in your life? Share your story with us!
 

Subscription Options

1 Year Digital Subscription

  • Free PDF Book Download - "What on Earth is God Doing?" by Renald Showers

  • Free Full-Issue Flipbook & PDF Download of Current Issue

$9.99 every 1 year

1 Year Digital with Archive Access

  • Free PDF Book Download - "What on Earth is God Doing?" by Renald Showers

  • Free Full-Issue Flipbook & PDF Downloads of Current Issue & select Archives

  • Complete Access to our Growing Archive - eventually dating back through our inaugural 1942 issue

$19.99 every 1 year

2 Year Digital Subscription

  • Free PDF Book Download - "What on Earth is God Doing?" by Renald Showers

  • Free Full-Issue Flipbook & PDF Download of Current Issue

$19.99 every 2 years

2 Year Digital with Archive Access

  • Free PDF Book Download - "What on Earth is God Doing?" by Renald Showers

  • Free Full-Issue Flipbook & PDF Downloads of Current Issue & select Archives

  • Complete Access to our Growing Archive - eventually dating back through our inaugural 1942 issue

$39.99 every 2 years

3 Year Digital Subscription

  • Free PDF Book Download - "What on Earth is God Doing?" by Renald Showers

  • Free Full-Issue Flipbook & PDF Download of Current Issue

$29.99 every 3 years

3 Year Digital with Archive Access

  • Free PDF Book Download - "What on Earth is God Doing?" by Renald Showers

  • Free Full-Issue Flipbook & PDF Downloads of Current Issue & select Archives

  • Complete Access to our Growing Archive - eventually dating back through our inaugural 1942 issue

$59.99 every 3 years