Sharing God s heart for the Jewish people

Sharing God s heart for the Jewish people

the Bridge What s the most effective way to share the gospel with my Jewish friend? We love that question but no one size fits all formula exists. The Jewish people are diverse, as is our staff. Much thought goes into planning strategies and developing resources. Time and energy are invested in learning Hebrew or other languages spoken where team members serve. Building relationships and demonstrating Messiah s love are key elements. Does God bless our plans and efforts? Have we found some methods for sharing the gospel to be more successful than others? Absolutely. But along with our careful planning and best efforts, it s most important to remember the Lord is the ultimate strategist. Each of our staff could share stories of God s perfect strategy triumphing over the best of our plans. Stories in this issue illustrate how God perfectly arranges our lives to further His eternal purposes. Some might label the occurrences as coincidence. We prefer to call them divine appointments. We prayerfully plan our ministry efforts to maximize the sharing of God s love for the Jewish people. But let us never forget: The mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps (Proverbs 16:9). It s a joy to hear God at work stories how He places willing souls in the right place at the right time. Sometimes one person hears of God s love from multiple sources. We delight to participate in our Creator s eternal plan. The kindness and greatness of our sovereign God propels us forward with anticipation of how He will draw people to Himself. Every blessing in Messiah, Wes Taber 3 In the Next Terminal 5 I have to Stop! 7 The Gospel on the Streets of Brooklyn 9 What a Familiar Face * In order to protect our staff and those with whom we work, we will often alter names and faces in publications. Issue 2 2014 Life in Messiah International

3 In the Next Terminal JFK International Airport was busy with people the night I arrived in New York for the beginning of the YES! Israel trip. I walked from the terminal, looking for someone from the taxi company scheduled to pick me up. They were nowhere to be found. I stood with my heavy luggage next to me, wondering what my next move would be. Taking the train would take more than 90 minutes and it was already late. It s amazing to see God work so strategically. Isaac heard about the love of Yeshua, the Jewish Messiah, from three LIFE staff members within two days! - Renae 4 Check us out at LifeInMessiah.org I remembered a phone number Levi and Stephanie (team leaders) had given me the night before. They had run into a similar situation when they arrived in New York. The Lord worked it out so they were able to ride with Isaac,* an Orthodox cab driver. During the drive to Brooklyn, they had a heartfelt conversation about the gospel. I called the number, hoping Isaac would answer. He did in God s perfect timing, Isaac was in the next terminal at that moment! He helped load my bags into his van and we chatted about our favorite baseball teams and compared New York City to Chicago. On our way to Immanuel House, Life in Messiah s ministry center in Brooklyn, I began an hourlong conversation with Isaac. He told me of his love of studying the Torah and his discomfort with his incessant desires to do wrong. We both spoke of our high regard for Scripture.This led to a dialogue about prophecy, Jesus as the promised Messiah and the antidote to the human inclination toward sin. Sharing God s heart for the Jewish people

I Have to Stop! 5 6 Every summer the YES! Israel team works with Dov, a staff member who ministers to addicts and trafficked women in South Tel Aviv. (Aviv Center is the drug and alcohol rehab program he and Olga operate.) Once again I was walking the needle-ridden street with our team. I wondered who the Lord would have us meet this time. The renewed lives of those who have already gone through the program are a living testimony of God s redeeming power! Praise God we were in the right place at the right time to meet Michael. Is God saying YOU should be on the next YES! Israel team? Levi and Stephanie would love to talk with you. Office@LifeinMessiah.org A young man approached us and Michael* began to share his story. I just got out of the military where I was badly injured Scars could be seen all over his arms and neck. We discovered Michael is a smart man who speaks three languages fluently. But this accident left him with little hope for a good future. Michael stepped away from our group to get a fix. We watched him find a corner as the drugs made him sick. He returned to us and said right away, I have to stop! Thankfully, Aviv Center was close by. Michael went back to the center where lunch was offered. It was wonderful to see him meet former addicts who have found freedom from addiction through Messiah Yeshua. Michael has a long road ahead of him, as do most who struggle with drug and alcohol addictions. We are thankful for the opportunity to offer friends like Michael a chance to encounter the Lord through our outreach center in Tel Aviv. -Stephanie Seeing the addicts who have experienced such renewal in their lives at the rehab center was really encouraging. This is only possible through Messiah, as He makes people new again. This ministry is really something amazing. Such dramatic change can only be accomplished through the mighty hands of our God! This is definitely a story I want to share with my college friends and many others. YES! Israel changed my life! -Amber Life in Messiah International

7 The Gospel on the Streets of Brooklyn Ari* was sitting on a park bench in Brooklyn when Jeff and I approached. We sat down and started chatting. He was hesitant at first to speak with us, but he seemed friendly. The conversation quickly moved to spiritual matters, and Jeff asked Ari what he believed. Ari expressed he only believes in himself. 8 Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter @Life in Messiah As we showed genuine interest in what Ari had to say, he began to let his guard down. Jeff and I really enjoyed speaking with him and sharing about how much Jesus cares for him. At the end of the conversation he was willing to take an Isaiah 53 tract. A smile came across Ari s face as we parted ways. This conversation really encouraged me to not let my fears of rejection keep me from a wonderful opportunity to present the gospel. The Lord works so strategically! After the YES! Israel team left for Israel, Ari just happened to meet Pieter, another Life in Messiah staff member, as he was walking on the streets of Brooklyn. Pieter was then the third person to share the message of Messiah with our new Jewish friend within two weeks. -Grace Sharing God s heart for the Jewish people

9 What a Familiar Face After dinner, we took a guitar and drum to a busy street in Jerusalem to sing. A young man wearing a kippa (a small round cap worn by some Jewish men) was sitting by himself, holding a guitar. Levi approached to ask him to join our group for some singing. Who would expect we would meet each other in Jerusalem? If this was not a divine appointment, what is? 10 God is always making ways for Messiah to be made known. This is just one of the many experiences from the YES! Israel team. Why not consider joining the team next summer? Contact Lhazen@lifeinmessiah.org for more information. Oh! What a familiar face!, I thought. He looks like someone I have dialogued with about spiritual topics on the internet. His face and name, along with his musical interest, all confirmed it: this indeed was the young man from the chat forum. Several times he had heatedly debated me regarding Judaism, Yeshua, and the New Testament! I decided it was wise to wait until a later time to reveal my identity. Asher* was happy to join us as we began to sing. We sang Hodu L Adonai (Give Thanks to the Lord) and Awake O Israel. Asher s friend joined us and later played Am Israel Chai (The People of Israel Live) and other Hebrew songs. Asher is a lovable young guy, zealous for his religion. We have had very intense debates because he wanted to protect his fellow Jews from being influenced by the Messianic faith in Yeshua. I remembered his statement from our last online encounter in which he said, We may cross paths again. Life in Messiah International