Last But Not Least Aug/Sep 1975
Joel of Jerusalem
“You Can’t Judge A Book By Its Cover”
A messenger came to my home recently to tell me I was to report for military duty. I asked him, “Why is it that when I go to serve, you and your friends attack me? Is it because I am a believer? You have told me many times that it is forbidden for Hebrew-Christians to be in the army. Why do you call me now? When you need me, I’m a good Jew.”
“Believe me,” he said, “more than once I wanted to talk to you about Jesus, but I didn’t have the courage. Now that I am here, it is a good opportunity for us to talk. Is it true that you believe that Jesus is the Son of God?”
“Yes,” I replied.
“How do you know that He is the Son of God, and from whom do you know it?” he asked.
“That’s simple,” I replied. “Just take the Bible and read what is written there about Jesus.”
“I know the Bible very well,” he insisted, “but never have I seen anything written about Jesus, only about God and the prophets.”
“What do the prophets have to say about the Lord?” I asked.
“Nothing,” he replied.
“Shall I show you?” I asked.
“Yes,” he said, “but not from Isaiah.”
“Okay,” I replied. “Open your Bible to Zechariah 12:10,
‘. . . and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced . . .’
This is not from Isaiah, but it says the same.”
“Why?” he asked.
“Because God is the same. He enabled the prophets, through His Spirit, to write His promises and prophecies concerning the Messiah. Now is the time to come to the Lord because we are getting closer to the time of which the prophecy of Zechariah 12 speaks. He will come to us and save us, but we must pray and ask for forgiveness of our sins. As the Prophet Jeremiah wrote in chapter 31, verses 31 through 34,
‘. . . Behold, the days come . . . that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel. . .’
He told us that our Lord would come to us, but we must be ready for Him because we are His servants in whom He is glorified. The Lord warns us to return to Him, turn away from our sin, and receive the Lord as our personal Saviour.”
He replied, “I don’t have a good answer to refute what you have just said. I have never heard this before.”
“Now that you have heard about the Lord, what will you do about it?” I asked.
“I must think about it; it is hard to answer. But, at least, I can understand you, and I have gotten a lot from our conversation. This is all so new to me.”
I said to him. “Because we, also, received the New Testament, let us sing a new song about the Lord from Psalms 96 and 98.”
Dear friends, please remember this man in prayer that he may come to know Jesus as his Saviour and Messiah. Thank you so very much for your continued prayer for us. May God bless you all.
