Inside View Jan/Feb 2016
Our mission statement reads, “The Friends of Israel is a worldwide Christian ministry communicating biblical truth about Israel and the Messiah, while fostering solidarity with the Jewish people.” We have two primary efforts: to teach God’s truth about Israel and Jesus and to act on our Zionist convictions.
Over the 78 years of The Friends of Israel’s existence nothing has consistently done more to accomplish this goal than our flagship magazine, Israel My Glory. It was founded 74 years ago, in the midst of the Holocaust, to teach God’s Word about Israel and the Messiah.
Under the capable, gifted leadership of our first executive director, Dr. Victor Buksbazen, Israel My Glory became known for teaching Scripture. An accomplished Bible scholar who spoke seven languages fluently, Victor understood the importance of disseminating truth to the world.
In my travels as executive director, I continually meet people who tell me they look forward to each issue of the magazine. I’ve had pastors and Bible teachers tell me they use the articles in their sermons and lesson preparations and even file them for future reference.
Some people are longtime subscribers; others are recent. It’s not unusual to meet people who borrow the magazine from someone else. In fact, our studies reveal that each copy of Israel My Glory is usually read by three people. That puts our readership at more than half a million in more than 150 countries.
Nothing has done more over the years to connect individuals to The Friends of Israel than Israel My Glory. To have each issue reach so many people places a solemn responsibility on us to be faithful to teaching God’s Word.
It also leads us to ask, “How can we more effectively communicate God’s Word through Israel My Glory without compromising biblical truth?” We posed that question to ourselves awhile ago, and it led to updating the magazine’s appearance.
The goal was to freshen the look and make it easier to read. Publications, much like our wardrobes, tend to become dated over time and can use a little update.
With this issue, you will notice some significant changes.
A great deal of prayer and testing went into developing the final design. We hope it will more effectively communicate biblical truth about Israel and the Messiah by removing obstacles that hinder reading.
However, we are committed never to change our teaching of scriptural truth or our statement of faith. Though the look of Israel My Glory has been updated, the content is the same, as are the writers and editors.
We want to continue to see Israel My Glory reach more readers and gain greater in fluence for the Lord, but never at the cost of compromising God’s Word. We are committed to holding fast to the convictions upon which this ministry was founded and has upheld for the past 78 years.
This issue may mark the beginning of a new design, but not a change in content. In a world that is constantly changing, The Friends of Israel is dedicated to the unchanging Word of God.
We have redesigned Israel My Glory several times in the past, and, if the Lord tarries, we probably will do so again someday. I hope you will find this new design more appealing and a joy to read.
