From the Editor Jan/Feb 2022
A few years ago, I watched a film about a man who never learned to read in school. His mother dies when he is young; and his father moves Stanley around…
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Inside View Jan/Feb 2022
In the book of Ruth, we see the practice of gleaning in action. Boaz first sees Ruth when she goes to his field to glean grain for herself and her mother-in-law…
We Lost a Mensch
If you’ve ever been called a mensch, consider it a great compliment. The Yiddish word is used to describe someone of noble character…
Israel Prepares to Strike
The Israeli government recently allocated 5 billion shekels ($1.5 billion) to prepare the Israel Defense Forces to strike…
Christian Persecution Jan/Feb 2022
A 14-year-old Christian in eastern India clung to life for six weeks before succumbing to severe injuries…
The Friends of Israel in Action Jan/Feb 2022
In God’s grace, He delights in using us to make known His kindness that leads men and women to repentance (Rom. 2:4)…
Happy New Year!
Fireworks. Noisy parties. Large quantities of food and drink. That’s how many people welcome the new year. Observant Jewish people, on the other hand…
The Bible: The Greatest Book Ever Written
Voltaire, the famous French philosopher once called the “prince of infidels,” reportedly said in 1776 that within 100 years…
Four Important Words
In explaining that we consider Scripture the ultimate authority for life, we often use the phrase verbal, plenary inspiration. The apostle Paul said…
Kingdom Now?
Of all the New Testament references to Old Testament Scripture, the verse that receives the most New Testament attention is Psalm 110:1…
When is a Wolf Not a Wolf?
All of us use figures of speech: “She’s the black sheep of the family” or “He had to eat crow” or “Behold, I send you…
Yesterday, Today, and Forever
It was a scam that worked for months. In 1849, William Thompson prowled the streets of New York City looking for…
The Confusion Cure
I once heard a preacher say if you summed up the Bible in a few words, those words would be from a garden (Gen. 1—2) to a city (Rev. 21—22) with a cross in between…
5 Keys to Unlocking Your Bible
When newborns enter the world, they depend on others for everything, particularly for nourishment…
Discipleship: The Lifeblood of the Church
The saved and sanctified halls of Christendom are sadly strewn with the remains of weak, passive…
Q: What Was Christ’s Self-Emptying?
The apostle Paul’s statement about Jesus in Philippians 2 has been misunderstood and misinterpreted over the centuries…
An Ancient Witness to the Messiah
Many people wonder what the ancient Hebrews thought about the coming of the Messiah. Some see the…
Preparation For Perilous Times
The apostle Paul was martyred during the rule of Roman Emperor Nero, an evil, diabolical man whose vicious cruelty…
God’s Guarantee to Us
One of the many Scriptures Sunday school teachers encourage their students to memorize is 2 Timothy 3:16. It is God’s guarantee to us that…
Just A Closer Walk With Thee
The late U.S. President George H. W. Bush famously hated broccoli. Some claim he mentioned the fact at least 70 times while…
Jewish World Update Jan/Feb 2022
The recent U.S. congressional drama about funding for Iron Dome was merely a sideshow to a proposed amendment by…
Apples of Gold Jan/Feb 2022
Many people do not want to talk about the Holocaust, especially the elderly, who suffered in the death camps as I did. Our young people know of the…
From the Editor Nov/Dec 2021
When I was eight years old, I had a friend named Mary. She moved to Vermont from California, lived two houses away, and attended Catholic school. Every year I’d…
Inside View Nov/Dec 2021
Modern Israel has become the world’s leader in water technology, and its innovation in this important area is one way God is blessing the world…
Gut Feelings vs. Biblical Truth
Alarms are ringing after a new survey conducted by the Barna Group for the University…
Israel and Iran’s ‘Shadow War’
An ongoing shadow war at sea between Israel and Iran recently escalated when the Islamic Republic attacked…
Christian Persecution Nov/Dec 2021
As the world watched videos and images of people trying to escape the Sharia regime the Taliban is imposing in Afghanistan…
The Friends of Israel in Action Nov/Dec 2021
There would be no Christmas without Hanukkah. That’s a fact! Hanukkah commemorates God’s divine…
We Stand With Israel!
There is no authority on Earth except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. That may seem like a strange statement in view of…
Isaiah 52:13—53:12
Behold, My Servant shall deal prudently; He shall be exalted and extolled and be very high. Just as many were astonished at you, so His visage was…
Outline of Isaiah 52:13—53:12
I. THE Servant’s SUPREMACY (52:13–15) A. The Servant’s prudence (v. 13) B. The Servant praised (v. 13) C. The Servant persecuted…
The ‘Forbidden Chapter’
What joy was mine when I ministered in Israel for one month each year when I served as director of…
From the Root of Jesse
When my friend and colleague Steve Herzig lived in Chicago many years ago, he issued a challenge to some of his friends. The challenge seemed simple enough, but…
Q: Did Jesus Claim to Be the Messiah?
Many people say Jesus was a great teacher, even a prophet, but that He never claimed to be…
Christmas Is…
Christmas is a busy time of year. Everyone’s schedule seems to be full of holiday events. Getting together with family and friends. Singing Christmas carols. Buying…
God’s Awesome, Immutable Plan
In the 1980s, an action-adventure television series used a catchphrase that has long outlived the show: “I love it when…
Balaam: Fact or Fiction?
As Moses and the Israelites camped on the Plains of Moab, Moabite King Balak devised a plan to defeat them. Knowing he could…
Facing Perilous Times
In many of his epistles, the apostle Paul warned churches that in the last days, charlatans will emerge teaching erroneous, deceptive doctrines that cause…
Living for God
Nick Foles is an NFL quarterback. He became famous for leading the Philadelphia Eagles to their first-ever Super Bowl win in 2018 and was named…
Jewish World Update Nov/Dec 2021
It appears Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) may have finally gone too far in her ongoing campaign to demonize…
Apples of Gold Nov/Dec 2021
The ultra-Orthodox in Israel try to milk people out of their money. They always find something new to sell. Lately they have been…
From the Editor Sep/Oct 2021
Growing up, Passover was my favorite holiday. It arrived just when New England’s harsh, snow-packed winter was finally giving way to spring…
Inside View Sep/Oct 2021
The Western church relies heavily on English translations of the original manuscripts of Scripture. Until John Wycliffe’s first complete translation in 1382…
Like William Henry Hechler
Theodor Herzl, the father of modern Zionism, considered William Henry Hechler the first Christian Zionist…
Has Ecoterrorism Hit Israel?
The February 2021 oil spill that polluted nearly half of Israel’s shoreline highlighted the country’s acute vulnerability to…
Christian Persecution Sep/Oct 2021
A house-church in Vietnam may face criminal prosecution and has faced community hatred due to COVID-19…
The Friends of Israel in Action Sep/Oct 2021
Polish nationalism and the place of Jewish people in Polish society have taken some troubling turns recently…
A Conversation with Joel Rosenberg
As part of The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry’s mission to teach about Israel and the Jewish people, our North American…
The Fascinating Hebrew Calendar
It’s easy to become confused with the dates for Jewish holidays because they are not based on the solar calendar we use…
The Seven Biblical Feasts
Of all the holidays celebrated throughout history, only these seven were given by God to His people Israel…
Behold the Lamb!
Many non-Jews think Hanukkah is every Jewish person’s favorite holiday. But they would be wrong. Hanukkah is not the Jewish equivalent of Christmas…
The Four Faces of Shavuot
Have you ever gone to the grocery store and found the shelves empty? Until the recent pandemic, that would have been…
Tekiah, Shevarim, Teruah
Growing up, I had an annual August ritual of asking my parents two questions: When is the first day of school? Are the…
Q: Is Today’s Increase in Knowledge a Sign of the Times?
The recent growth in world travel and technology has been remarkable…
Holiday Under the Stars
Many years ago, a pastor and I visited a friend who is a rabbi at a local synagogue. Sukkot was approaching, and Rabbi offered to…
Jesus on Sukkot
The events recorded in John 7 took place during the Feast of Tabernacles—the Jewish holiday of Sukkot: “Now the Jews’ Feast of Tabernacles was at hand…
‘Remember the Sabbath’
When my wife and I lived in Minnesota, we enjoyed visiting the Minneapolis Institute of Art where more than 90,000 beautiful…
God’s Alarm System
Alarms call us to action. We have fire alarms, weather alarms, alarm clocks, and personal electronic devices with alarms. During biblical times, Israel also sounded an alarm…
Perilous Times Predicted
People who serve Satan may not realize what they are doing. But if they distort, oppose, twist, or deny the true gospel…
19 Characteristics of People in the Last Days
Self-love heads the list of sins because human nature is always selfish. All evil desires spring from this craving…
How to Obtain True Wisdom
Advice is cheap. Wisdom is rare. King Solomon said, “Happy is the man who finds wisdom, and the man who…
Jewish World Update Sep/Oct 2021
Israel has announced that Amazon and Google won the tender to provide cloud services to the government as Israel…
Apples of Gold Sep/Oct 2021
Deuteronomy 16:19 says, “You shall not . . . take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous.” Therefore, it is written…
From the Editor Jul/Aug 2021
Who among us, at one time or another, has not questioned God? Why, Lord, did You let my baby die? Why didn’t You heal my child? Why do You allow Christians to…
Inside View Jul/Aug 2021
I’ve had the privilege of visiting Israel 28 times since my first trip in 2003, most often to lead tours. It has been a rich blessing to see the land of the Bible…
God Doesn’t ‘Cancel’ Us
A missionary and church planter found himself in a difficult position when the members of the so-called cancel culture endeavored to silence him…
New Precision Weapon Could Devastate Israel
Iran is continuing to provide high-quality weapons to Hezbollah, including one that could give the terror organization…
Christian Persecution Jul/Aug 2021
NAIROBI, Kenya—A mosque leader had men rape three teenaged relatives of a church pastor in western Uganda…
The Friends of Israel in Action Jul/Aug 2021
It was a beautifully mild, sunny, spring day when our field representative Dr. Juan Carlos Espinoza set up his table in a local park…
The Real Friend of Israel
Many Americans are still reeling from the results of the 2020 presidential election. According to two surveys, between 76 and…
Job: Misery’s Poster Child
Americans entered 2020 with great hope. The stock market, employment, and prosperity were at all-time highs…
Q: Who Is Satan?
Satan is not mythological. He is a real being who truly exists in the world (Job 1:6) and whose name means “accuser” or “adversary.” He possesses the attributes of…
About the Book of Job
A quick overview of the book of Job…
The Wrong Trifecta
After his wife’s death, C. S. Lewis kept a journal documenting his journey of grief. It was later published as A Grief Observed. One of the entries jolted me…
What Not to Say
I hung up the phone in shock. I had called looking for comfort, maybe some sympathy. A man who had been a pillar in my life and a spiritual father to me had passed away…
Can You?
It is never fun to be in God’s waiting room. If Job could speak with us, he probably would verify the difficulty of waiting on the Lord. Job’s story, told in the Bible book…
The Message of the Gospel
As we read the book of Job today, we have the advantage of seeing what Job could not see: the spiritual challenge that…
My Sweet Monty
The first Bible story I heard as a little girl was the story of Abraham. I was 5 years old; yet when I heard the word bless, I knew it was something good…
The Journey of Processing Pain
Nineteen years ago in March, our only daughter left for work in the morning, never to come home. We remember that day…
One of the Oldest Blessings in the Bible
In Numbers 6:22–27 the Lord told the high priest how to bless national Israel: “The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make…
Faithful in Service
What is the church? Many people think of it solely as a building—sometimes a great and majestic cathedral and sometimes an unadorned, small, simple structure…
Controlling Our Tongues
Eating crow is never fun. The good news is we never have to eat words we fail to speak. Words are powerful…
Jewish World Update Jul/Aug 2021
Jewish people the world over are still grieving over the loss of more than 45 people who were crushed to death in a horrific…
Apples of Gold Jul/Aug 2021
Israel is filled with many false teachers. They grow like mushrooms after the rain. They are extremely active, and every few days we see a new “holy one.” Many people here believe…
From the Editor May/Jun 2021
Shortly after I became a Christian in 1980, I was invited to a luncheon sponsored by the local branch of a nondenominational, evangelical Christian organization…
Inside View May/Jun 2021
The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry is devoted to sharing the gospel. Gospel is part of our name; and since our inception in 1938, we have lived…
The New Middle East
Last December I stumbled across an article that nearly knocked me off my chair. The headline read, “Israel and the UAE working together…
Nuclear Iran Looms Large
Israeli Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz recently estimated Iran is a year or two away from building a nuclear bomb…
Christian Persecution May/Jun 2021
New Delhi, India—Hindu extremists attacked a group of tribal Christians preparing to celebrate the New Year…
The Friends of Israel in Action May/Jun 2021
God is not hampered by borders! Here in The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry’s International Department…
A Letter to My Dad
Another Father’s Day is just around the corner. My dad passed away in 2008; and at age 97, my mom still misses him. Perhaps that was why she showed me…
From Death to Life
Population 4.18 million. Situated like a jewel by the beautiful Mediterranean Sea, it beckons to tourists from around the world to enjoy its nonstop nightlife…
Three Spiritual Journeys
I was born into a Christian home and grew up learning about God and His Word. As an 8-year-old in summer Bible school…
Getting the ‘Package Deal’
“What do you mean you became a Christian at 21? Aren’t you a pastor’s daughter?” an older gentleman asked me…
He Never Let Go
My story begins with my father, who was enjoying recognition as a successful research chemist despite two big problems: He was a functioning alcoholic and an atheist…
Q: What Does ‘Crucified With Christ’ Mean?
Paul wrote, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live…
What is the Gospel?
Many years ago, my wife and I were invited to dinner at the home of a prominent older woman. She knew governors and senators and had been friends with Albert Einstein…
ABC
Here are the ABCs of accepting Jesus as your Savior: A. Acknowledge and repent of your sin, realizing sin separates us from a holy and righteous God…
Until We Meet Again
It is with both sadness and joy that we announce the homegoing of our dear friend and coworker, Bob Duarte, who entered the presence of the Lord…
The Strange Story of the Scapegoat
A strange ceremony is recorded in Leviticus 16:7–10 as part of the observance of Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement)…