Dr. Mitch Glaser

As Passover approaches, I find myself drawn again to the words of John the Baptist on the banks of the Jordan: “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). The crowd of Jewish pilgrims gathered may have immediately thought of the Passover lamb, whose blood marked the doorposts of their ancestors’ homes in Egypt, sparing their firstborn sons from judgment. The Passover season offers us a beautiful opportunity to trace the golden thread that winds from Exodus 12 to the Messiah’s sacrificial death and beyond.

A Portrait Outline

In Exodus 12:5–7, God gave Moses detailed instructions for that first Passover night in Egypt. On the tenth day of Nisan, each household was to select a lamb. For four days, they would keep it, observing it carefully to ensure it was without blemish. Then, on the fourteenth day, they would sacrifice the young and unblemished lamb at twilight and apply its blood on the doorposts and lintel of their homes. When the angel of death passed through Egypt that night, every home covered by that blood would be spared.

These instructions formed a prophetic outline and foundation for a magnificent, full-color oil painting of redemption God would reveal in the future. This early drawing is something of a charcoal outline, begging to be filled with nuance and color to create a portrait of the One who would come as our perfect Savior.

Adding Color: The Arm of the Lord Revealed

The painting takes on colors and more beautiful hues in the writings of the prophets. In Isaiah 53:7, the prophet describes one who would be “like a lamb that is led to slaughter” and who, “like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, so He did not open His mouth.” But the chapter opens with a striking question: “To whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” (Isaiah 53:1).

That Hebrew word for “arm”—zeroah—echoes throughout the Passover story. In Exodus 6, God promises to redeem Israel “with an outstretched arm” (Exodus 6:6). To this day, a roasted shank bone representing that zeroah sits on the Seder plate as a reminder of God’s mighty deliverance. Isaiah is telling us that the suffering servant—Jesus, the lamb led to slaughter—is Himself the outstretched arm of God, reaching into human history to deliver His people from a bondage far deeper than Egypt’s chains: the bondage of sin and death.

Understanding the Hebrew Calendar

In the Hebrew reckoning of time, a new day begins at sunset, not at midnight. What we call Thursday evening and Friday daytime are actually part of the same Hebrew day. This detail becomes crucial when we trace the events of Jesus’ final week.

The Gospel of John provides us with chronological markers that, when understood through the lens of the Hebrew calendar, reveal an astonishing correspondence between the Passover lamb of Exodus 12 and the Lamb of God.

John tells us that “six days before the Passover” (John 12:1), Jesus came to Bethany. If Passover fell on the fourteenth of Nisan, then six days before would place Jesus’ arrival on the eighth of Nisan—a Friday. He would have completed His travel during daylight hours, to not violate the Sabbath by traveling after sunset. That evening, as the Sabbath began (now the ninth of Nisan by Hebrew reckoning), Jesus shared a meal with His dear friends Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. That day would have passed quietly in rest and worship.

Then came Sunday, the tenth of Nisan, and the action picks up!

The Lamb Selected

On that day, something remarkable happened. John records that “the large crowd who had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and began to shout, ‘Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel’” (John 12:12–13).

The slow march to Calvary began on the tenth day of Nisan as Jesus traveled from Bethany—the same day every household in Israel identified and presented their Passover lamb (Exodus 12:3). As families in Jerusalem were choosing unblemished lambs from their flocks, God was presenting His chosen spotless Lamb to the nation just a short distance away. Jesus entered the Holy City not as a conquering warrior, but as a humble king, riding on the foal of a donkey in fulfillment of Zechariah 9:9. The crowds greeted Him with words from Psalm 118—the very psalm that Jewish tradition associates with welcoming the Messiah, recited on the Jewish festival of Tabernacles.

On the day Israel chose its lambs, God chose His.

The Lamb Examined

According to Exodus 12, households were to observe the selected lamb from the tenth until the fourteenth of Nisan—four days during which the family would examine it carefully, ensuring it was healthy and free from any blemish or defect so it could qualify to serve as the Passover sacrifice.

During these same days—from Sunday the tenth through Wednesday the thirteenth of Nisan—the religious leaders peppered Jesus with questions designed to trap Him. The Pharisees, Sadducees, and Herodians all took their turn, testing Him from every conceivable angle, searching for some flaw, some inconsistency, some weakness they could exploit.

However, Matthew records that after this barrage of testing, “no one was able to answer Him a word, nor did anyone dare from that day on to ask Him another question” (Matthew 22:46). Even Pilate, after his own examination, would declare three times, “I find no guilt in this man” (Luke 23:4).

Like the unblemished Passover lamb, Jesus was found faultless.

The Lamb Sacrificed

On Thursday evening—the beginning of the fourteenth of Nisan—Jesus gathered with His disciples in an upper room for the Passover Seder. This was the meal commanded in Exodus 12, the annual remembrance of God’s deliverance from Egypt. “Now this day will be a memorial to you, and you shall celebrate it as a feast to the Lord; throughout your generations you are to celebrate it as a permanent ordinance”(Exodus 12:14).

But on this night, Jesus invested the ancient elements with new and deeper meaning. Taking the unleavened bread, He broke it and said, “This is my body, which is given for you” (Luke 22:19). Taking the cup, He declared, “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood” (Luke 22:20). The very One who instituted the first Passover meal, which had always pointed forward to a greater deliverance, was now fulfilling it.

The following morning, still the day of Passover, Jesus was led to Golgotha. At 9:00 in the morning, He was nailed to the crucifixion tree and, for six hours, hung there, bearing the weight of human sin.

At 3:00 in the afternoon, Jesus cried out, “It is finished,” and breathed His last.

The ninth hour, 3:00 pm, was the hour of the evening sacrifice at the Temple. It was the very time when, according to tradition, the Passover lambs were slaughtered in Jerusalem, their blood poured out at the base of the altar. At the precise moment when countless lambs were dying as substitutes for the people, the Lamb of God died as an atoning sacrifice for all humanity.

John, an eyewitness at the cross, records one more detail. When the soldiers came to break the legs of those crucified, they found Jesus already dead. So, they did not break His legs. John tells us explicitly that this fulfilled Scripture (John 19:32–36). He points us back to Exodus 12:46, where God commanded concerning the Passover lamb: “nor are you to break any bone of it.” Not a single bone of the true Passover Lamb was broken.

A Work of Art and Grace

The blood of the Passover lamb was applied to the doorposts and lintel of each home, and when death passed over, the firstborn sons were saved. In the same way, when we place our faith in Jesus, the Lamb of God, His blood covers the doorposts of our hearts, the judgment we deserve passes over us, and we pass from death into life.

Exodus 12 contains a beautiful detail that often goes unnoticed. God instructed that foreigners who wished to participate in Passover could do so if they were circumcised and identified with the community of Israel. From the very beginning, God’s redemption was never meant for one people alone. Today, Jewish and Gentile people together—all who have circumcised hearts cleansed by the blood of the Lamb—share in this promised redemption and gather around the Lord’s Table as one family.

Celebrating Together

This Passover season, I encourage you to gather with your family and experience the richness of the Seder. Elsewhere in this newsletter, you will find a Passover guide and Haggadah designed to help you walk through the meal together, tracing these beautiful connections between the ancient story of deliverance and its fulfillment in our Messiah.

As you break the matzah and lift the cup, may you see with fresh eyes how every detail of that first Passover night pointed forward to Jesus. The lamb selected on the tenth, examined for four days, sacrificed on the fourteenth, His blood applied to the doorposts, His bones unbroken—all of it was preparing us to recognize the true Lamb, Jesus, when He came.

May you hear afresh the words that echoed across the Jordan two thousand years ago: “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”

“I wish I could believe as you do.”

“I am so jealous of the love you volunteers have for each other.”

These are among the comments our staff and volunteers regularly hear when they host traveling Israelis around the world.

Who Are These Traveling Israelis?

After completing their mandatory military service—two to three years of intense responsibility—Israelis embark on extended backpacking journeys to decompress, discover themselves, and explore the world. It has become a rite of passage in Israeli culture, and it represents one of the most remarkable opportunities for sharing the gospel we have ever seen.

Every year, approximately 30,000 to 50,000 young Israelis set out on this journey. About 60 percent travel through South and Southeast Asia, including India, Thailand, and Nepal. Another 30 percent head to South and Central America, trekking through Argentina, Peru, Chile, and beyond. The remaining travelers explore Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Taiwan, Korea, and other destinations.¹

These journeys typically last six months, though some extend to a year or more. Since October 7, 2023, Israeli outbound travel remains resilient. In 2025, Israeli tourism experts recorded over 9 million international journeys. This figure surpasses Israeli international travel in 2019, before the pandemic and the war.²

How Chosen People Ministries Is Reaching Traveling Israelis

Chosen People Ministries has developed two strategic approaches to reach traveling Israelis. First, we operate youth hostels and ministry centers in key destinations around the world. These provide welcoming environments where Israelis can connect with believers, receive hospitality, and encounter the love of Messiah.

Second, we created Host Israelis—a network that connects traveling Israelis with Christian host families. We also have an app where Israelis connect with approved and trained hosts willing to welcome them for two to seven days completely free of charge. It works like Airbnb, but instead of a transaction, it is an opportunity for believers to demonstrate the love of Jesus through authentic hospitality.

Why Traveling Israelis Are So Open to the Gospel

Ministry to traveling Israelis is so powerful in part because they are away from the influences that would normally discourage them from exploring faith in Yeshua. At home, a young Israeli expressing interest in Jesus would likely face pressure from parents, teachers, rabbis, and peers. But on a hiking trail in New Zealand or sharing a meal with Christians in Japan, they are free to ask questions, listen to testimonies, and consider the claims of the Messiah without fear of judgment.

Chosen People Ministries staff and volunteers hike with these Israelis, tour sites, and share meals. These activities build relationships and trust, leading to genuine friendships and powerful gospel opportunities. When a young Israeli sees the love of Yeshua lived out through a host or volunteer, something clicks. They begin to wonder if this Jesus they have been taught to dismiss might genuinely be their promised Messiah.

Our Ministry Centers

Our most active ministry centers are in the East—Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Korea, and India. We also have a robust center in New Zealand. Let me share what is happening in some of these key locations:

• Japan—Japan has seen increased Israeli travel. Peak tourism to Japan is in April when cherry blossoms coincide with Passover. During that month, for example, Israeli visits surged 88 percent from 2024 to 2025.³ Japan’s reputation for safety, the absence of antisemitism, and direct flights from Tel Aviv have made it a top destination.
• New Zealand—New Zealand’s stunning landscapes, adventure tourism, and welcoming atmosphere draw thousands of young Israelis each year. The remoteness creates an ideal setting for spiritual conversations, and our team there has seen remarkable fruit.
• Australia—Australia receives thousands of Israeli visitors annually and is becoming an increasingly important destination. The combination of the familiar English language, outdoor adventure, and the opportunity for short-term work makes it attractive to post-army Israelis seeking extended stays abroad.
• Taiwan—Taiwan has emerged as a rising destination for Israeli backpackers who are drawn by the safety, affordability, and rich culture. Our ministry there is seeing growing opportunities to connect with these travelers.
• India—India has been popular in many Israelis’ post-army journeys since the 1970s. Thousands of Israelis visit annually.
• Korea—Korea has seen significant growth in international tourism, reaching over 16 million visitors in 2024, with Israelis among those discovering this dynamic destination.⁴

Equipping Believers to Share

We equip Christians who host or meet Israelis with powerful tools to share the gospel, including Isaiah 53 Explained in Hebrew, a brand-new Gospel of Matthew in modern Hebrew that was just produced, plus many videos and other resources. When Israelis ask questions—and they do!—their hosts are prepared to share the truth with clarity and love.

We have also created internship opportunities for younger believers from Israel to serve at our ministry centers for weeks or months. This internship helps them grow spiritually and provides another stage of discipleship, which ultimately strengthens the growing Messianic Jewish community within modern Israel.

A Japanese Christian Making Israel “Jealous”

We know that our hospitality ministry is effective because we have heard ongoing incredible reports from around the world. Here is just one recent story we received from an Israeli staff member who relocated to Japan to reach traveling Israelis there:

Jacob* is in his late twenties and has been traveling around Japan for several months. During the weekdays, he enjoys Japanese culture and works part-time online in IT. He comes from a traditional Jewish family, even though he does not consider himself religious.

Jacob does not like to work alone in his hotel, so he often goes to coffee shops. One day while at a cafe, one of our Japanese Christian volunteers noticed Jacob’s small Star of David necklace. He sat down and politely asked if he could talk with Jacob.

The volunteer shared his faith in Jesus, the Jewish Messiah, and told Jacob about our community where Japanese and Jewish people study the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament together, pray together, and work on projects that stand against antisemitism and anti-Israel propaganda. Jacob was very surprised. In a biblical sense, you could say he was made “jealous” (Romans 11:11).

After attending one of our events, he said to me [our staff], “I am really amazed. I still have much to learn—this is my first time meeting Messianic Jews—Jews who believe in Jesus as the Messiah. But the love and acceptance I felt here are very special.”

We exchanged contact information, and Jacob said he would continue to visit our community and events while he is in Japan. I am staying in touch with him and praying that the message of the gospel will touch his heart deeply and lead him to salvation.

The fruitfulness of these ministries continues to overwhelm me with thanksgiving to God and for our dedicated staff and volunteers.

What can you do? You can pray for these young Israelis to encounter Yeshua on their journeys.

We have a network of volunteer hosts in the United States and around the world welcoming traveling Israelis. You can learn more and apply to become a host by registering at HostIsraelis.com.

*Names changed

1. David Yin, “Out of Israel, Into the World,” Forbes, December 18, 2013, https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidyin/2013/12/19/out-of-israel-into-the-world/.
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2.  Eran Ketter, “Israel Outbound Tourism: Market Research Reports,” Israel Outbound Tourism–Market Research Reports by Dr. Eran Ketter, accessed January 22, 2026, https://www.eketter.com/israel-outbound-travel-market-research.
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3. “Israeli Tourists Increasingly Visiting Japan,” The Jerusalem Post, December 21, 2025, https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-881018.
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4. “South Korea Tourism Statistics – How Many People Visit? (2025),” RoadGenius, last updated June 18, 2025,  https://roadgenius.com/statistics/tourism/south-korea/. ↩︎

I hope the freshness of the new year energizes you and that you are as excited as I am about the gospel possibilities in 2026. I hope to see many more Jewish people coming to faith in Jesus as the day of His return draws closer. 

Paul reminded the Roman believers,

For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery—so that you will not be wise in your own estimation—that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; and so all Israel will be saved.(Romans 11:25–26)

We know for sure a day is coming when your Jewish friends, coworkers, and relatives will turn to Jesus—assuming they are still alive at the moment of His return, which is what I believe the verse is literally teaching.  This passage implies, in my understanding, that one of the signs of His soon return will be an incremental increase in the number of Messianic Jews around the globe, especially in Israel, where we see the modern Messianic movement growing.

At the end of chapter 11, Paul clearly explains to the Roman believers that he has a deep sense of certainty about the future of Jewish evangelism—because of God’s unbreakable covenants and unchanging character! He is and will be faithful to His chosen people. I am not implying that Jewish people can go to heaven without believing in Jesus, but rather the day is coming when “all Israel will be saved”—by accepting Jesus as their savior. This will happen at the very end of the last days, but I believe we will begin seeing this phenomenon of faith increase in the days approaching His return.

We have dozens of staff who are sharing the gospel on the streets, in homes, teaching Bible studies, leading congregations, hosting Israelis, and on campuses, making the good news of the Messiah known every day.

We will never give up because God’s promises for the full spiritual restoration of the Jewish people are plainly taught throughout Scripture . . . if you take His word as literally as I do!!

I believe with my whole heart that the very next major event in human history will be the second coming of the Messiah Jesus. We must preach the gospel today with the urgency of a certain tomorrow shaped by the promises of God. We know that the Lord is coming soon, and we now have the opportunity to point all people to a future hope promised by God through the mouths of His prophets. As Isaiah wrote in chapter 2 verses 1–3:

The word which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. Now it will come about that in the last days the mountain of the house of the Lord will be established as the chief of the mountains, and will be raised above the hills; and all the nations will stream to it. And many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; that He may teach us concerning His ways and that we may walk in His paths.” For the law will go forth from Zion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

We must embrace the future as promised by God Himself.

Yet, many believers seem to shy away from this future hope, absorbed mostly by their present circumstances. These days, there seem to be fewer books, conferences, sermons, and personal Bible study about the Second Coming. When our focus on the Second Coming is diminished, our deep-seated desire to reach the Jewish people—and all people—for Jesus seems to wane.

Scripture Applies to Today and Points to Tomorrow

It can be quite frightening to think about the future, especially if you read the Bible and take it seriously! The romanticized happy ending we all love in literature, theater, and the movies is simply not part of the divine script for human history. The future will be unyielding and selective, holding good news for some and bad news for others.

Jesus calls us to engage with the modern world, but not to overly attach ourselves, even to our very temporary existence on earth. Believers, like everyone else, tend to embrace the world’s dream of a better life—to live longer, to enjoy a “no worries” mentality, to live for the moment, to change what we can on earth, and not to become overly concerned with the future. But we know that, contrary to the world, our Messiah wants us to join Him in being crucified daily, forsaking the things of this passing planet to follow Him in obedience to all that He has taught. We sometimes behave as if God has given the future to humans to control, but the future that God planned for us before the foundations of the earth is inevitable and coming soon. 

Humanity is not meandering through the ages, as God has a plan and purpose for the conclusion of our present age. This future will not be ethereal or nondescript; it is outlined with great detail in Scripture. It will include a full itinerary of unavoidable events. Rather than remaining passive participants in the future God has prepared for humanity, we should study the Scriptures to discover what He has planned so that we become active participants.

God’s Future Plans Are Unstoppable

Today, many thoughtful evangelicals gravitate toward a more undefined view of the future, spiritualizing the kingdom message of the Old Testament prophets. We tend to take the Bible’s teaching about the future less literally than in previous years. We say, “Thy kingdom come,” but have only a minimal understanding of the kingdom we expect.

Eschatological or “end times” agnosticism is more common today than digging deeply into Scripture to find out what God has in store for those who love Him. In so many good and practical ways, the church has worked to alleviate present suffering and injustice. Yet, this focus on the present can also obfuscate Scripture’s teaching about our future hope. We sometimes behave as if nurturing a future hope is less godly than working toward a better present. But our sure hope for the future can strengthen our resolve to face the present and help us be His instruments for bringing godliness to a fallen world.

We often quote the Sermon on the Mount to undergird our concern for the present: “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:34). But the Lord is simply encouraging us to trust Him with our tomorrows and to believe He will provide for our needs as we “seek first His kingdom.” Using this text to minimize the significance of God’s future plans is a misunderstanding of the text. Jesus never avoided the future! 

The Lord is not telling us to ignore the future, as He said the opposite in Matthew 24:32–33, “Now learn the parable from the fig tree: when its branch has already become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near; so, you too, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door.”

Our Biblical Future

Learning more for ourselves and teaching others about the coming kingdom is one of our duties as disciples of Jesus. We are not only part of God’s kingdom today, but we also have starring roles in His forever-story! We must discover what He has planned to the best of our ability and allow the future to shape the way we live and serve in the present.

This is precisely why He addressed the future in His Great Commission (Matthew 28:19–20). What we do today in obedience to Jesus only makes sense considering the future that awaits us. We recognize that our days are numbered and that life as we know it will soon end. We also believe that the time is short to let the world know about salvation, the abundant life, and God’s plan for the future. 

If we are not telling people about the events of the end of the age, then we are not doing what Jesus instructed us to do. It is the recognition of our temporal nature and of our few remaining days on earth that compels us to devote our lives to fulfilling His Great Commission. It was the hope of His coming and the reminder of what He has planned for us that motivated His disciples to carry out this holy commission.

Jesus taught His disciples that the “end of the age” is as certain as His death and resurrection.  Should we then concern ourselves with the details? Of course! As His present-day disciples, we should not trivialize what mattered so profoundly to our Savior. If so, we demonstrate that we have not learned, followed, and observed what He taught, thereby denying the very teaching He called us to pass along. 

The day is coming when we will run out of time to fulfill the commission He has given us, and it is for this reason that Jesus linked the Great Commission to the future that He planned before the foundations of the earth. That future includes the salvation of the Jewish people through embracing Jesus as Messiah and Savior. 

The end is near, dear friend, and we have a great role to play in this drama of redemption. We must remember that the Jewish people also have a prophetic role in the end times, so let us pray and work toward the salvation of Israel. I hope you will take up the mantle of Jewish evangelism and allow God to use you to bring the message of hope to your Jewish friends and family.

Your Mission to the Jewish People has many ways we can help you take up the mantle of making Jewish people jealous (Romans 11:11). We offer numerous videos, books, training opportunities for hosting Israelis in your homes, and so much more. 

We need your prayers, encouragement, participation, and support. Join hands with us and walk with boldness toward the future God has prepared for all, especially for those who love Him.

We were gonna do one last drug deal . . . it kinda went badly. One of the guys was yelling, “Just kill him now!” and the other one says, “No, we gotta get the rest of the drugs! Let’s just torch the place!” You haven’t felt anything until you’ve felt the cold steel of a sawed-off shotgun against the back of your neck. . . . I’m an unlikely person to believe in Jesus.

That is the beginning of my own story of coming to faith in Jesus; you can listen to the rest on our “I Found Shalom” website. There’s something extraordinary about a good story. Scientists tell us that when we hear a compelling narrative, our brains actually sync with the storyteller’s in a process called “neural coupling”—our heart rates align, our emotions mirror theirs, and we identify with what they feel. Stories speak directly to the heart. That’s why, from ancient campfires to modern screens, humans have always been drawn to testimonies of transformation.

This is exactly why our “I Found Shalom” testimony project has been so powerful.

The Power of “I Found Shalom”

Over the past several years, we have filmed and shared about 100 testimonies of Jewish people who have found their Messiah, Yeshua (Jesus). These five-to-seven-minute videos have been viewed hundreds of thousands of times—and more importantly, they have led Jewish seekers to faith. When someone watches a fellow Jewish person describe their journey to Yeshua, something clicks. They see themselves in that story. They think, “If this could happen to them, maybe it could happen to me.” For example, Shohreh shared with us her story of how she came to faith in Jesus after growing up in a Jewish family in Iran. Here is part of her journey to trusting in Yeshua as the Jewish Messiah:

As a Jewish kid growing up in Iran, I went to a Jewish school. We would go every Monday and Thursday to synagogue. . . . My dad . . . since we observed all the Jewish holidays at home, we’d get into these stories, and especially at Passover he would very passionately tell us about the story of the Passover and how we got saved from Egypt and he would always emphasize that it was God’s hand that brought us out of Egypt.

In 1977 I moved to New York to continue my studies. A year later, the revolution happened in Iran and pretty much upset all of our lives. Things started to . . . fall apart in the country that I was raised in and so much loved. . . . I started to really look at what’s the meaning of life, understand life, understand myself, what’s going on with me. . . . There came a time when both my parents fell ill, especially my mom which I never expected. She was 57 and she was diagnosed with cancer. . . . How do I talk to my mom now, knowing that soon she’s going to be dying, and she’s not ready for it? . . . Do I know if there’s going to be another life after death? . . . 

There was no way I could fix my own problems. So I started to read the Torah and the Tanakh of course, and slowly I felt that God is speaking to me through His book, and this is His book. . . . And I started to see this . . . continuous theme: there was always a sacrifice required for our sins. . . . Putting together all of the stories of the Hebrew Scriptures, and also all the stories I had heard from my dad and grandfather—that one day there’s going to be a Mashiach [Messiah] coming—it suddenly clicked for me that, yeah of course, Yeshua had to come and die for us. . . .

He came to fulfill all of the promises that God had given us, that He would send us a Savior. I needed a mashiach, and He was the Mashiach. . . . only the blood of someone holy like Yeshua could cover all of our sins. I remember when I was a kid . . . if I needed my prayers to be heard I would always go to the rabbi to pray for me . . . We don’t have a direct relationship with God, we cannot have that direct relationship with God, because of our iniquities. Yeshua had to come to die for us so that He would make that relationship whole again between us and God. . . . [Jesus] takes away the anxiety and the anxiousness and He replaces it with His joy and His peace, and to me that’s precious. That cannot be bought with millions of dollars.

A story that changes one heart—like Shohreh’s—can change a family, a community, and a generation. With your support, the “I Found Shalom” project has allowed us to tell stories that lead Jewish people to the greatest story of all: the love of their Messiah.

Ready for Round Two

In such a time as this—when antisemitism is on the rise, and Israelis and the Jewish people are more spiritually open to the gospel than ever before—it is crucial to hear more Jewish voices from a wide variety of perspectives, backgrounds, nationalities, ages, and languages tell their story of how they put their faith in Yeshua as their Messiah.

That is why we plan to produce fifty new testimonies over the coming year, expanding our reach in remarkable ways. We will include at least twenty-five Israelis—young and old, those raised in believing homes who made their faith personal, and those who discovered Yeshua for the first time. We will film Jewish believers from England, Australia, Canada, France, Argentina, Brazil, and beyond, sharing their stories in multiple languages. These new testimonies will diversify the stories, ensuring that this new phase of our “I Found Shalom” project will speak to the hearts of Jewish people worldwide, no matter where they are from, how old they are, or what kind of life they have lived.

A Resource to Meet People Where They Are

We are meeting people wherever they are; these testimonies will reach Jewish people on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. We are creating beautiful storybooks for those who prefer to read. Audio versions will be available for those who want to listen while commuting, exercising, or simply going about their day. We will use these testimonies in our summer outreach campaigns in New York City, San Francisco, London, and Hungary—where thousands of Israeli tourists visit each year. Here is just one testimony of how our volunteers were able to use “I Found Shalom” to share the good news of Yeshua on one of our outreach campaigns:

I handed an “I Found Shalom” tract [that has a link to our “I Found Shalom” video testimonies] to a 30-year-old Israeli man who said, “I am looking for shalom.” I said, “I have found shalom . . .” We were able to share our testimonies and also how God loved us enough to sacrifice His only Son, Yeshua, the spotless Lamb once and for all, for our sins.

It is hard to get Jewish people to attend a large evangelistic event. But with “I Found Shalom”, we can bring the event to them—to their phones, their homes, and their daily routines. Hundreds of Christians have already used these testimonies as tools to share the gospel with Jewish friends and neighbors.

As we reflect on the past year, our hearts overflow with gratitude for what God has accomplished through Chosen People Ministries worldwide. From the streets of Tel Aviv to the college campuses of America, and from soldiers in wartime to young adults seeking truth, we are witnessing extraordinary gospel impact in the lives of Jewish people across all twenty countries where we serve.

I want to share how your partnership has made this possible and invite you into a critical initiative that will expand our reach even further.

A Global Ministry Crisis and Opportunity

Since October 7, 2023, Israel has faced unimaginable suffering. Our teams have been on the front lines of both humanitarian aid and spiritual ministry, delivering supplies to Israel Defense Forces soldiers and providing pastoral care to traumatized families. By God’s grace, our twenty-plus staff are reaching Israelis of all ages with the hope of Yeshua in their darkest hours. Young people, Holocaust survivors, and soldiers recovering from war are all encountering the love of Christ in tangible ways.

Yet, this ministry comes at a great cost. Our Israeli staff, like our missionaries worldwide, must raise their own support. Many are underfunded, working tirelessly despite financial strain. The war has only deepened this crisis. Let me introduce you to some of the faithful, hardworking staff we support in Israel:

Eitan: Reaching the Digital Generation

Eitan* represents a new type of missionary—one who understands that today’s Israeli youth live online as much as they do in the physical world. Through social media platforms, Eitan is engaging young Israelis who would not initially walk into a church or attend a traditional Bible study. His content is authentic, theologically sound, and culturally relevant. He speaks their language, both literally and figuratively, and offers hope to a generation searching for meaning in a world that often feels hopeless. His expansive vision is to use every available platform to ensure that Israeli youth encounter the message of Yeshua.

Ariel: Honoring the Survivors, Sharing the Gospel

Ariel* leads our Holocaust survivor ministry in northern Israel—work that is both compassionate and urgent. Every day, Holocaust survivors in Israel are passing away. Every conversation is potentially the last opportunity to share the love of Yeshua with someone who has endured unimaginable suffering.

Ariel visits these precious elders in their homes, listens to their stories, and provides both practical and spiritual support. He organizes events that bring survivors together in community, and he leads Bible studies that address suffering, redemption, and God’s faithfulness. “I love visiting these precious people in their homes,” Ariel says. “We provide practical and spiritual support, organize events for them, and lead Bible studies.”

Michal: Available to Suffering Israelis

Michal* serves in Ashkelon, one of Israel’s cities most directly affected by war and missile attacks. She lives among people who have lost homes, loved ones, and their sense of security. Her pragmatic ministry is simple but profound. She shows up, listens, and provides practical help and spiritual care.

“I live in Ashkelon and have seen the impact of war on Israelis,” Michal reflects. “There are deep wounds in people’s hearts, but we see many who attend our events seeking comfort from God. They know He is at work. One person saw a rocket land nearby, but it did not explode. Another left their home just minutes before an attack. For me, this is a time to serve, to be present, to listen, to weep with those who weep, and to help where help is needed most.”

House of Living Waters Creates Stability

At the same time, we are witnessing spiritual openness among Jewish people in America. College campuses are experiencing a crisis of antisemitism. A poll released last year reported that 83 percent of Jewish college students said they had experienced or witnessed antisemitism since October 7, 2023.¹ Jewish students feel isolated, vulnerable, and abandoned by their institutions. But they are also seeking community and truth.

We launched the House of Living Waters, a residential ministry to Jewish college students that is already yielding remarkable fruit. In this ministry model, young adult missionaries live in community near major campuses (currently at New York University and Columbia University), host regular outreach events, and form deep, personal relationships with Jewish students.

Unlike street evangelism, the House of Living Waters creates deeper stability and trust that lead to spiritual conversations and decisions. Our teams host weekly Sabbath dinners, Bible studies, Jewish holiday celebrations, and strategic outreach events. Through partnership with Christian student groups like InterVarsity and CRU, we are equipping Christian students to confidently reach their Jewish friends and classmates. This program has grown significantly in the past year with four new young adults joining the team and our expansion to Columbia.

A Student Ministry That Bears Fruit

Our House of Living Waters leaders report many fruitful conversations with Jewish students. While doing outreach at a park near NYU’s campus, one of our staff, Elijah,* connected with a student who agreed to meet for coffee. When they did, they talked about God for two hours! This student grew up in a secular Jewish home and asked Elijah, “Do you believe in God because you are afraid of him?” This opened the door for Elijah to share about his view of God as a loving Father, not a cosmic bully out to get him when he slips up. Before they parted ways, the student said, “I don’t think I’ve ever spoken to someone about God that calmly and openly.”

Another one of our staff reported: “It’s been so encouraging to see how much this student ministry has grown from when we started. Students are connecting and bringing friends, and our presence is surely growing as we continue to put our mission forward and get on campus. To have regulars as well as new students, and even believing friends on campus, made us realize that these connections only come from the favor of the Lord.”

He also shared about Levi,* a regular participant at our events. When a fellow student recently asked him whether he believed in Jesus, he openly said, “I’m beginning to.” Praise God for the fruit we are already seeing from this ministry, which is reaching Jewish people at such a pivotal time in their lives!

Meeting the Need Through the New Missionaries Fund

Both in America and around the world, we are reaching a critical juncture. Our successful ministries—from our twenty-plus staff serving across Israel to our campus outreaches in New York City—all depend on dedicated missionaries who are willing to serve.

This is where we need your help.

Today, I am launching a special appeal for our New Missionaries Fund. Our missionaries around the world develop a network of supporters who pray for and give support so they can devote their lives to vocational ministry. It takes time for new staff to stabilize their support raising. We want these called men and women to be able to launch into full-time service as soon as possible!

This fund directly supports missionaries and outreach workers in our twenty countries of operation who are underfunded or newly deployed. Whether it is a young adult living in an apartment near NYU, a missionary serving in northern Israel, a staff member reaching young people through social media, or a team member building relationships with Holocaust survivors, every dollar in this fund goes directly to sustaining these faithful servants.

A Historic Moment

We stand at a pivotal moment in history. Israel is enduring challenges like few nations have known, yet the spiritual hunger we are witnessing is unprecedented. College campuses in America have become hostile to Jewish students, yet many are open to the gospel at this key time in their lives. Our missionaries are equipped and ready—but they need support to continue.

For 132 years, Chosen People Ministries has stood faithfully with Jewish people through persecution, war, displacement, and renewal. Your partnership allows us to continue this legacy. Your gift is not merely financial; it is a firm declaration of support and solidarity with God’s chosen people at a time they need it the most.

1. “Campus Antisemitism One Year after the Hamas Terrorist Attacks,” Anti-Defamation League, January 30, 2025, https://www.adl.org/resources/report/campus-antisemitism-one-year-after-hamas-terrorist-attacks. ↩︎

May I ask a quick question for you to consider as we enter 2026.

Can the Church…or an individual believer in Jesus Accelerate the Second Coming of Christ?

I am sure your immediate answer is NO…the Lord will return when He wishes!  We all know the passage found in Mathhew 24:36-37,

“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah.

It is true – we cannot possibly know the exact moment of the Saviors return. 

But we can understand the signs of the times and the steps that will eventually unfold leading to His return!

I believe it has been wisely stated that if you want to know when Jesus is coming back – keep your eye on the nation of Israel! 

“As the great Southern Baptist pastor W.A. Criswell once said, ‘If you want to know the time, look at Israel”, as described in his sermon “Israel in the Consummation of History”.¹

The Role of Israel and the Jewish People in God’s Plan

May I remind you of Israel’s central role in the plan of God? The Lord chose the Jewish people to bring blessings to the entire world, and it was through the Messiah Jesus that these blessings were poured out upon all humanity!  This future hope is found in the promise of God to Abraham in Genesis 12:1-3. 

Concluding with these words in verse 3,

And I will bless those who bless you,
And the one who curses you I will curse.
And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”

God chose the Jewish people to bless the nations and certainly this took place with the first coming of Jesus and more it will be true with His second coming!

Let me put it another way, “if you want Jesus to return, then share the gospel Jewish people with Jewish people in Israel and around the globe…or have a part in helping others fulfill this great Gospel task. (Romans 1:16, 11:11, 25-29)

The prophet Zechariah gives us a clear picture of the end times. According to Zechariah 12:9-12, the Jewish people—especially in Israel—will be surrounded by enemies who want to destroy God’s chosen people. This will take place at a time when Israel and the city of Jerusalem are once again in Jewish hands. The nations of the world, including Israel’s current neighbors, will surround the Holy City of Jerusalem getting ready to attack His chosen people.

But God will intervene! He will pour out His Spirit at that moment, and the Jewish people will turn to the Messiah they once rejected. As Zechariah prophesied: “And I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look at Me whom they pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son” (Zechariah 12:10, NASB).

It is at this moment of national repentance that Jesus will return to usher in His glorious kingdom. The attacks against the Jewish people and Israel are the work of the Devil and must be stopped. But in the end, it is the turning and repenting of the Jewish people that brings about the Second Coming—and this is the ultimate entry to world peace.

Proclaiming the Good News in Israel through Hart Times

Recently, in Israel, I had the joy of being able to share the gospel with dozens of Israelis at our Messianic Center in Tel Aviv. If you remember, we had one center that we rented and thank God kept rented because our new facility across the street was bombed on June 17 by an Iranian missile. The work to repair the 30-story condominium and the 4,000 square foot commercial space at the base of this beautiful new condominium which houses our new Center will take at least a year – maybe more.  But we will get back into the space in the Lord’s time.  Meanwhile the damage to our center is far less than that which happened to the larger condominium.  Thank God no one was seriously hurt or killed in the missile attack. 

Why did God allow our new and newly dedicated Messianic center to be hit seemingly randomly by an Iranian missile?  A good question but every time I ask the Lord WHY He reminds me of His faithfulness and goodness, and I end up simply thanking Him for the privilege of suffering with my fellow Jewish people living in the Holy Land. 

I now believe the way in which we handle this disappointment will be a more powerful opportunity to show how those who follow the Messiah Jesus can have hope during destruction. And if my dear Israeli friends and family need anything – it is the gift of Hope which comes faith a founded upon the Word of God and the very character of the Holy One who is always good, generous, merciful, just and kind!  We love Him and love our people and are thankful for the opportunity to suffer with them.

We have learned that even in the midst of war, destruction and extraordinary challenges…that our faith and ministries can grow!

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1. The specific URL for that sermon is: https://wacriswell.com/sermons/1967/israel-in-the-consummation-of-history/ ↩︎

This is indeed the season of light, as both holidays emphasize that light has come to cheer our hearts and enlighten the soul. The parallels between Hanukkah and Christmas are many, but light is certainly a key theme. He is the Light of the world, and the light of the Hanukkah menorah reminds Jewish people of the miraculous workings of God on behalf of His chosen people. As a Jewish believer in Jesus, this season is a great joy for me and my family, and in some ways the holidays blend together in one glorious season of celebration for the Light who came into the world to dispel the darkness!

I am so grateful for you and for the way you have helped us bring the light of our beloved Messiah to the Jewish people throughout the year. But I must admit, it has been a year of contrast between the darkness of this world and the light of God’s presence.

Let me explain by telling you what happened just a few months ago in Israel.

God’s Work Endures Despite Missile Hit

In the heat of the Iranian missile attacks on Israel, my wife and I made our way slowly through check-in at Royal Jordanian Airlines. We were leaving Amman, Jordan, after leading 65 Christian tourists out of Israel. We stopped and prayed at about 7:00 in the morning, knowing that the siren we just heard over Jordan meant that a missile was headed for Israel! Little did we know that this would be the missile that struck our new Messianic Center in Tel Aviv!

Just a few days earlier, on June 14, we had dedicated this new ministry center with joy and thanksgiving. After more than two years of transforming raw cement into a beautiful and functional space for gospel ministry, we were finally ready to launch expanded outreach to families and young Israelis in the Ramat Gan area of greater Tel Aviv.

Now, the thirty-floor, 100-plus-unit condominium building stands severely damaged by the missile, and our newly finished ministry space, located on the ground floor and second floor, is likely inaccessible for at least a year.

We are pretty sure the Iranians did not intend to strike our facility, and we also believe the war we are fighting is not only fought on earth but also in heaven. We might not be the target of Iranian aggression, but we do believe the devil targeted our new facility because he knew that God would use this center in the heart of 4.7 million Israelis to introduce many Jewish Israelis to His Son, Jesus!

But the enemy of our souls did not know that he could not stop our ministry any more than God’s covenant with the Jewish people could be set aside by the One who chose us. Miraculously, our ministry has never stopped, not for a single day.

Ministry in Motion

Thanks to God’s provision—and our decision to maintain the rental property in the same neighborhood—our twenty-five staff members continued their work without interruption. The 1,600 square feet we have been renting for seven years had become our operational hub for evangelism, discipleship, and benevolence ministries—and even more so during the aftermath of October 7.

“We’re not waiting for the building to be restored to minister,” said one staff member. “The needs are too urgent. Every day, we’re meeting with traumatized families, delivering meals to Holocaust survivors, counseling soldiers dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder, and sharing the gospel with Israelis who are asking deeper questions about God than ever before.”

The recent peace treaty between Israel and Hamas offers cautious hope, but the reality is that spiritual openness in Israel is at an all-time high. Whether the treaty holds or not, our commitment remains the same: to demonstrate the love of Jesus through practical care and the proclamation of biblical truth.

Strategic Location, Strategic Ministry

Our new ministry center is connected via the Tel Aviv light rail to family-oriented neighborhoods such as Ramat Gan and Bnei Brak, one of Israel’s most religious suburbs. We are located in the heart of one of Tel Aviv’s most family oriented Tel Aviv neighborhoods, which comprises families with children, young professionals, and long-term elderly residents of Israel.

Before the bombing, we were hosting monthly concerts and Sabbath dinners that regularly attracted more than 100 people—mostly young Israelis, some believers in Jesus, and many seekers. We ran multiple adult Bible studies each week, as well as special children’s programs. These were not just events; they were relationship-building opportunities where gospel conversations happened naturally over meals and music.

“Space creates ministry capacity,” explained our Israel director. Currently, we are working with limited square footage. However, we will again be able to significantly expand our ministries once we return to our new center, which is expected to occur sometime within the next year.

Rebuilding More than Buildings

This surge of spiritual interest among Israelis is exactly what our new Rebuilding Israel campaign is all about. We are now launching a much needed twelve-month initiative aims to raise $3 million—but not only for building repairs. We do not want to focus just on the bombing or rebuilding the center. We plan to add staff, rebuild programs, and start new gospel-centered initiatives. We are positive and proactive, not just reacting to what happened to our building.

The campaign includes:

• Adding staff to our team of twenty-five, enabling us to seize ever-expanding ministry opportunities. We might add as many as five new staff this year.
• Fixing our new center. We hope to be back in this beautiful center within the year, but we need to be patient as the condominium building received more damage than our ministry space within it.
• Expanding relief and benevolence work among displaced Israelis, including food distribution, housing assistance, and intensive biblical counseling.
• Launching post-war outreach initiatives like our Psalms of Hope, designed to help Israelis discover a relationship with God through Scripture and provide a downloadable book of Psalms in modern Hebrew. Israelis have already downloaded an estimated 10,000 copies.

Israelis Coming to Faith in Yeshua

The Lord is working in Israel to reveal Yeshua as the Messiah to Israelis, and our ministry is continuing to participate in His great work of bringing His chosen people to salvation through their promised Messiah! Here are some coming-to-faith testimonies from our Israeli missionaries:

• “Ori* said: ‘I had planned out exactly how I would take my life. I didn’t even believe in God, but I asked if He was really real that He would save my life. For the next several nights, Yeshua visited me in dreams, and I knew it was Him! He’s totally changed my life!’ Ori grew up as an atheist, but after his encounter with Yeshua in his dreams, he read through the entire New Testament. God saved Ori from taking his own life and, through Yeshua, he has been given new life in Messiah!”
• “A couple of months ago, a young lady named Esther,* from a Jewish religious background, started attending our mid-week events. She shared that four years ago, she came to faith after planning to take her life, but Yeshua came to her in a vision and saved her! God is amazing!”
• “Shai* is an Israeli who came to faith during a Messianic Passover Seder. He shared how it helped him understand the need for redemption and that God Himself would make the way.” 
• “For years, one of our ministry staff has been doing outreach with influencers on social media, through gaming sites, and by video streaming. Yoel* dialogued about Yeshua (Jesus) with one of our staffers for a long time on his gaming and video streams—and he came to recognize Jesus is indeed the Messiah and Savior. His newfound faith has been wonderful to see these past several months. For example, he asked to study the Scriptures, so two of our men met with him to read some verses from the Bible about discipleship. ‘That’s me! I need to be discipled!’ Yoel exclaimed. ‘Wait, that is what we are doing now! This is amazing!’”
• “A young man named Paul,* a social media influencer with more than 250,000 followers, recently came to faith in Yeshua. I have started mentoring him, and we are seeing how God is already using his platform to reach others with the gospel.”

War and destruction have left many Israelis with deep spiritual needs, and our ministry is meeting these pressing needs with the good news of Yeshua. Increased space and resources will give us expanded capacity to guide even more Israelis to faith in their Messiah!

131 Years of Faithful Presence

Chosen People Ministries has maintained a presence in Israel since before the modern State of Israel was born in 1948. We have continued our ministry through wars, conflicts, and countless challenges.

The missile that hit our new center was meant to destroy, but God is using it to mobilize His people for something greater. We are not just rebuilding a facility; we are rebuilding lives, families, and ultimately helping many understand that Jesus is our Messiah.

The new center will reopen. Programs will expand. New staff will join the team. And countless Israelis will encounter Yeshua through the faithful ministry of Chosen People Ministries. From rubble to redemption—that has always been God’s pattern. And it is the story being written in Israel right now.

I recently returned from Israel where I spent a week with our staff who have been deeply impacted by the wars with Gaza, Iran, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and Iran. Quite a list! There is so much damage, and Israelis often feel a sense of helplessness as they do not know if the peace accord—more like a truce—will hold!

On the other hand, I am also writing with a heart full of gratitude and hope, even as we reflect on one of the most challenging chapters in Chosen People Ministries’ 131-year history of serving the Jewish people.

On June 18 of this year, an Iranian missile struck our newly dedicated center in Tel Aviv. The building we had built out for more than two years—finished just days before—now stands severely damaged, likely unusable for the next several months. Yet, amid this devastation, I see God’s faithfulness and an unprecedented opportunity for ministry.

A Dream Interrupted, But Not Destroyed

Let me take you back to June 15, when we dedicated our new center with joy and thanksgiving. We were finally ready to expand our outreach to the families and young Israelis of greater Tel Aviv. The location was perfect. It was right on the light rail connecting downtown Tel Aviv to the religious suburbs, accessible to families with children who had moved to the area for more affordable living, yet still within easy reach of the young singles working in the city.

We envisioned hosting our monthly concerts and Sabbath dinners that regularly drew over one hundred people—mostly young Israelis, some already believers in Yeshua (Jesus), many still seeking. We planned multiple adult Bible studies each week and special events for children. This was not just about having more space; it was about creating opportunities for life-changing encounters with the gospel. Then, less than a week after our dedication, the missile hit.

The thirty-unit condominium building above our property took severe damage. However, our commercial space on the ground floor was not hit the worst. We believe we can use it again by May, if the building is deemed habitable and safe to enter. But for now, we continue ministering full-time from the rental property nearby that we have used for several years.

Ministry During the War

The bombing of our center is just one challenging story among millions in Israel right now. For months, our staff and the families we serve faced the constant threat of missile attacks, rushing to shelters, wondering if each night might be their last. The psychological toll has been immense—not just from the bombings themselves, but from the political upheaval, the hostage crisis, and the profound losses experienced socially, emotionally, and spiritually across Israeli society.

Even as I write this, Israel and Hamas have just signed a peace treaty. We are cautiously hopeful, approaching this development with both faith and humility, because we simply do not know if the treaty will hold. We rejoice that all the living hostages have returned to their families, bringing closure to one of the most painful chapters of this conflict. But regardless of what happens politically, one thing is certain: The needs in Israel are greater than ever, and so are the opportunities for ministry.

What We Have Been Doing

Despite everything, our twenty staff members in Israel have continued to serve. We have continued providing practical relief work alongside spiritual care. We deliver cooked meals to elderly Israelis and distribute food packages containing oil, flour, and other staples, with a particular focus on Holocaust survivors who have endured yet another trauma in their lives. We also offer short-term housing assistance for five to ten people when needed.

Most importantly, we are providing intensive biblical counseling to help people process their post-traumatic stress. We sit with them in their pain, help them make sense of the chaos, and point them to the hope found only in Yeshua. We visit the elderly, offering companionship to those isolated by fear and circumstance. We support single mothers overwhelmed by the burden of protecting their children through air raid sirens and shelter stays.

We distribute Bibles and provide spiritual care, which is really our forte. While we are committed to benevolent work, our heart is for direct spiritual ministry and discipleship. Most of our evangelism happens through relationships, walking with people over time as they see the reality of Yeshua’s love demonstrated through our actions. We have also launched strategic outreach initiatives like Psalms of Hope, a program that encourages Israelis to read the Psalms and discover a wonderful inside view of a relationship with God.

Why Tel Aviv Matters

You might wonder why our greater Tel Aviv location is so important that we are committed to its restoration. Let me explain.

Ramat Gan, the section of greater Tel Aviv where our center is located, is a distinctly Israeli neighborhood—you do not hear much English on the streets here. The light rail accessibility means we can reach both the family-oriented communities of Ramat Gan and the young professionals working in the city center. There is also a direct connection to Bnei Brak, one of the most religious suburbs of Tel Aviv.

When we lost access to this newly built-out center, we lost more than a building—we lost capacity. We lost space for the larger concerts, Sabbath meals, Bible studies, and gatherings that were just beginning to flourish. Space creates opportunity. Right now, we are working with only 1,600 square feet in our rental property. It is enough to keep ministry going, but not enough to grow into the fullness of what God is calling us to do.

This is why we bought the new building. We need the room—and opportunities—to expand.

An Invitation to Rebuild Together

For 131 years, Chosen People Ministries has maintained a faithful presence in Israel, and we have done so because of faithful partners like you. Many of you have supported us through our Watchmen for Jerusalem program, making recurring gifts that sustain our year-round operations. Today, I am inviting you to consider a special commitment to this Rebuilding Israel initiative.

Will you help us rebuild—not just a facility, but lives, families, and ultimately a nation’s understanding of their Messiah?

The peace treaty gives us reason for cautious optimism. However, regardless of political outcomes, spiritual needs will remain—and perhaps intensify. As the immediate danger subsides, people will begin processing their trauma. Questions about God, suffering, and meaning will surface with new urgency. This is our moment.

Together, we will rebuild—stronger, larger, and more effective than before.

Thank you for standing with Israel, Chosen People Ministries, and Jewish people who desperately need to know their Messiah.

I love the words of the psalmist who praises the Lord for His goodness and lovingkindness: “You are my God, and I give thanks to You; You are my God, I extol You. Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting”(Psalm 118:28–29).

Even amid our struggles, we can praise God for the splendor of His character. He is always good, faithful, merciful, and just! During this season of thanksgiving, we are reminded of all the Lord has enabled us to enjoy, and we can praise Him for what we see. More significantly, we can give thanks for what is often unseen when we focus on the character of God Himself, especially as revealed in the person of Jesus.

Grateful for Peace

At this moment—after more than two years of death, desperation, and devastation—we have the beginnings of a peace treaty between Israel and Gaza, which will hopefully last and extend to other nations that have been carrying out vicious attacks against the Jewish people in the Holy Land. We had been fervently praying for the return of the hostages remaining in Hamas’ torture tunnels, and we are rejoicing for those who have been returned—both those who are alive and who have died in captivity. While we recognize that resolving age-old conflicts is often tenuous, we still give thanks to God for what He has done and remain hopeful for a lasting peace.

One of the ways I have tried to remain hopeful during the events spawned by the horrific attacks of Hamas against Israel on October 7, 2023, is by looking toward the future that God promised to both Jewish people and Gentiles through the prophet Isaiah. Allow the words of this prophecy—given more than two-and-a-half millennia ago—to encourage your heart to trust in His promises.

The prophet wrote,  

Now it will come about that in the last days the mountain of the house of the Lord will be established as the chief of the mountains and will be raised above the hills; and all the nations will stream to it. And many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; that He may teach us concerning His ways and that we may walk in His paths.” For the law will go forth from Zion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. And He will judge between the nations, and will render decisions for many peoples; and they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, and never again will they learn war. (Isaiah 2:2–4)

My dear friend in the Messiah—I believe every word! One day, Jesus the Messiah will return and put an end to war, and we will live in peace. That is the future God has promised and offers to all who make the decision to follow Him!

The Story of Redemption

Some theologians have summarized the story of the Bible well in three words: creation, fall, and redemption! God made a perfect world, Adam and Eve sinned, and from the Garden onward, the Lord has been working to bring His sinful, broken world back to Himself. 

The Jewish people are central to the story of redemption. God created the Jewish people for His glory, to be a bridge of redemption to the world, and He sent His only and beloved Son, Jesus—Yeshua, the Jewish Messiah—to purchase our redemption from sin, death, and judgment by His shed blood. The future of Israel and the Jewish people is linked to the decision to put our faith in Yeshua, and to then bring His gospel message back to the original messengers—the Jewish people through whom and to whom Yeshua first came!

This is the heart of the everyday work of Your Mission to the Jewish People.

The decision to follow Messiah changed my life when I was nineteen years old. You might remember the moment you embraced Him as your Savior as well. We experienced God’s peace when we accepted Jesus, and we will enjoy this peace even more when the Prince of Peace returns to reign. Until He comes and establishes a kingdom even more beautiful than Eden, we will face conflict, disappointment, and sometimes tragedy. But by His grace, we will be able to confront the difficulties of life with peace in our hearts.

We look forward to the day when “they will say, ‘This desolate land has become like the garden of Eden; and the waste, desolate and ruined cities are fortified and inhabited’”(Ezekiel 36:35).

Our Heart and Mission

Meanwhile, we continue to reach out to Jewish people around the globe. Today, I am thankful for the dedicated staff of Chosen People Ministries and for their tireless efforts to preach the gospel “to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Romans 1:16). It is a privilege to lead this wonderful 131-year-old mission to the Jewish people. Allow me to share some reasons why I am filled with gratitude today, and please join me in offering thanksgiving to God for His work through our staff.

We continue to operate throughout the United States, using diverse strategies to reach Jewish people. Our approach includes branch operations, Messianic congregations, strategic campus outreaches, campaign evangelism, digital evangelism, and public events centered on Jewish holidays. We also maintain various discipleship ministries through publications, websites, e-communications, and highly successful camping programs, as well as retreats and other events. At the core of everything we do is a passionate commitment to sharing the love of Yeshua with Jewish people worldwide.

I’m so grateful for this opportunity to share with you what God is doing through Chosen People Ministries. When I think about His faithfulness and the doors He continues to open, my heart overflows with thanksgiving, and I know our ongoing work, especially in the United States and Israel, will encourage you.

Ministry Across America

Here in the United States, we maintain active branches in major cities including Manhattan, New Jersey, Philadelphia, southern Florida, Atlanta, Phoenix, Seattle, Boston, and Chicago. But our reach extends far beyond these hubs. We have over seventy dedicated volunteers representing us in dozens of communities nationwide, engaging in evangelism, supporting church ministries, and participating in our national outreach events.

One ministry I’m particularly excited about is our Host Israelis Network, which has grown to over two hundred homes across the country. Imagine Israeli travelers, far from home, being welcomed into Christian and Messianic Jewish homes where they experience genuine love and hospitality—and hear about Yeshua, perhaps for the first time. It is beautiful to watch these relationships develop.

We’re also working with university students through our House of Living Waters program. We place young missionaries in apartments near major universities like New York University and Columbia, and we provide them with housing and support so they can build meaningful relationships with Jewish students. One of our leaders in this work is a Russian-Israeli brother we brought from Israel to study at Moody Bible Institute, and now he is engaging the next generation. The impact is multigenerational and eternally significant.

Our camping program continues to thrive, with camps on both coasts serving children and teenagers. What moves me most is seeing our teenagers take ownership of their faith by hosting their own Bible studies online and building community, not just nationally but internationally. This is the next generation of Jewish believers rising up, and it gives me such hope.

We are also privileged to operate several Messianic congregations that we have either planted or are leading in cities like Brooklyn, Northern Virginia, Pittsburgh, Southern California, and Minneapolis. These congregations provide spiritual homes for Jewish believers and their families, as well as places where they can worship Yeshua while celebrating their Jewish heritage.

The Heart of It All: Israel

Let me share what is happening in Israel because this is where we need to direct so much of our focus and prayer right now.

As you may know, our ministry center in Tel Aviv was struck by an Iranian missile. One side of our building suffered serious damage. It was a brand-new, beautiful facility—four thousand square feet across two stories—and we were just weeks away from receiving our occupancy permits when this happened. The building will take a year to rebuild, and our portion of the repairs will be substantial. We are awaiting confirmation of insurance coverage and potential assistance from the city council, but nothing is certain yet.

But here is what I want you to know: We have not stopped. We are continuing to rent the space across the street that we have been using, That building also had its windows blown out by the missile, though we are still running our full programs. Our Bible studies and other ministries are continuing, as well, and they are a strengthening factor for the body of Messiah within Israel and a powerful outreach for those seeking the Lord during these incredibly difficult times.

Let us pray that the recent peace plan holds and that we can continue to present the gospel to Israelis in the power of the Holy Spirit. Your prayers and support make all the difference in the world!

Please pray for:

• wisdom and provision as we rebuild our ministry center in Tel Aviv
• protection for our staff in Israel as they minister in a war zone
• open hearts among Jewish people who are experiencing fear and uncertainty
• boldness and opportunities for our missionaries to share the gospel
• fruit that remains with Jewish people coming to faith and their growth as disciples

We are living in prophetic times. The Lord is faithful to His promises, and He will complete the work He has begun. Until that day when all Israel recognizes their Messiah, we press on, grateful for partners like you who stand with us in this sacred calling.

Thank you for your heart for the Jewish people, and thank you for allowing us to share this incredible journey with you.

Shalom. I am thankful for you, your willingness to stand with the Jewish people, and your prayers as we reach Jewish people around the world.

We are approaching Thanksgiving, and I have been thinking a lot about the importance of giving thanks as a spiritual discipline year—maybe more than in past years—because of the war in Israel and rise of global antisemitism. But I know it is God’s will for me to thank Him in all circumstances. 

I enjoy saying thank you by eating delicious food including the usual bountiful feast of turkey, sweet potatoes with marshmallows (a personal favorite), and pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving. Yet, as much as I enjoy the meal and family time, I know that thanksgiving is more than a feast! As believers in the Messiah Jesus, we are called to cultivate a daily spirit of thanksgiving. Paul wrote,  “in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

And King David before him sang,“Give thanks to the Lord for His is good; for His lovingkindness is everlasting. Oh let Israel say, ‘His lovingkindness is everlasting’”(Psalm 118:1–2). Thanksgiving is an everyday possibility when we know the Lord and praise Him for His goodness and grace.

Everyday Thanksgiving and the Hope-Filled Life

This wonderful Psalm has been recited for centuries by Jewish people as part of the Hallel Psalms, also known as the “praise psalms,” which are chanted during our major Jewish festivals. Many Christian scholars also believe it was one of the psalms sung by Jesus and His disciples at the conclusion of their Passover meal (Matthew 26:30). Whether read in synagogue, church, or as a reflection in private devotion, Psalm 118 resonates across faith traditions as a song of thanksgiving that leads to hope. It bridges human suffering and divine deliverance, rejection and acceptance, despair and gratefulness.

David frames the conclusion of the psalm with almost the same words as it begins when he writes, “You are my God, and I give thanks to You; You are my God, I extol You. Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His lovingkindness is everlasting” (Psalm 118:28–29).

The psalm encourages us to cultivate an attitude of gratitude and thanksgiving, which is so important for our spiritual well-being. Giving thanks is also a survival tool for the dark moments of our lives. Thanking God in the midst of life’s greatest challenges enables us to be grateful for the small blessings we would otherwise either not notice or take for granted.

Grateful for God’s Mercy in Life’s Darkest Times

Allow me to share the story of my friend, Ellis Goldstein, who discovered how to give thanks during very challenging circumstances. I am so moved by this story that I have also shared his story in our newsletter—so do not be surprised if you remember seeing it! 

Ellis was born into a traditional Jewish family with roots in Eastern Europe. Everything changed during his college years at Penn State. Through conversations with a patient campus mentor, he began exploring passages about the Messiah in the Hebrew Scriptures. Initially skeptical and confused, he struggled to understand how these ancient prophecies could have relevance to his modern life. Six months later, in a moment of divine revelation, which he described as having “a veil lifted,” he suddenly understood that Jesus was his Messiah. This was not merely intellectual acknowledgment but a heartfelt recognition that transformed his entire worldview. The same Scriptures he had studied mechanically as a child now came alive as God’s personal letter to him.

This newfound faith became the cornerstone of his family life. He and his wife, Colleen, raised their daughter, Heather, with the same vibrant faith that had transformed their own lives. Their joy knew no bounds when, at a very young age, Heather made her own decision to trust Jesus as her Savior. She grew into an exceptional young woman—academically gifted, wise beyond her years, and someone her peers sought out for guidance and counsel.

Then came the moment that would shatter their world. On January 19, 1994, as Ellis stood in his garage preparing to leave, state police pulled into their driveway. They handed him Heather’s driver’s license and delivered the devastating news: Their seventeen-and-a-half-year-old daughter had died in a fatal car accident. The tragedy that no parent should ever face had become their reality.

Years later, another crushing blow struck their already wounded family. Colleen began experiencing throat problems that led to a devastating diagnosis: ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease. He watched helplessly as this cruel neurodegenerative disease systematically robbed his beloved wife of her ability to speak, write, and eventually breathe properly. When Colleen expressed that her suffering had become unbearable and she longed to be with the Lord, he faced the agonizing reality of losing his remaining family member. After Ellis took his wife to the hospital because of her labored breathing, the doctor gently informed him that Colleen wouldn’t be coming home. Several days later, in the middle of the night, while Ellis was sleeping in a chair next to her bed, two nurses woke him up to tell him Colleen was gone.

Standing alone in that hospice room, having lost both his daughter and his wife, he cried out to God in raw anguish: “You’ve taken away my entire family. What am I supposed to do?” The loneliness felt beyond description, a pain so deep it seemed to challenge the very foundation of his faith.

Yet, it was precisely in this darkest valley that God’s grace became most visible. While Heather’s death had caused him to question God’s love for an extended period, Colleen’s passing revealed something different—not doubt, but profound assurance. He saw God’s mercy and grace displayed in ways he never expected, recognizing that both his daughter and wife had transitioned from earthly bodies into the eternal presence of their Savior. Their faith in Jesus as Messiah had secured their place in God’s presence, transforming death from an ending into an eventual reunion.

Through unspeakable loss, Ellis’s testimony reveals how faith in Jesus provides strength, despite life’s tragedies, and can help us find hope, purpose, and even gratitude in the midst of them. His story echoes the psalmist’s journey through dark valleys and his ultimate discovery that God’s love and presence remain constant, even when everything familiar is stripped away. This is faith tested by fire and found genuine, which is a testament to God’s sustaining power when human strength fails.

I am amazed that Ellis, who recently remarried, has served the Lord faithfully for many years and remains an inspiration to thousands through his work with Cru.[1] Of course, it has been a long journey for my friend, but because of his relationship with the Lord Jesus, he has been able to experience daily renewal and live a hope-filled and joyful life.

A Heart of True Gratitude

Gratitude is God’s antidote to hopelessness. When we remain thankful in tough times, it is not a naïve surrender to the difficult moments we all go through, but a decision to trust Him through the hard times and reject the temptation to become embittered. Doing so is possible because the Lord lives within us by His Spirit and, through Him, we can be victorious (1 Corinthians 15:57).

When illness shadows our days, when loss leaves us breathless, and when uncertainty plagues us, we can be grateful for the Lord who is with us in the hard times. The psalmist teaches us that gratitude is not built upon the absence of trials but upon our trust in God’s character and sustaining power.

As I speak to our staff in Israel who are still running to bomb shelters with their families while continuing to preach the gospel to their fellow Israelis, or to our staff who are enduring the trials of living in war-torn Ukraine—and still have joy, I know that they have a source of spiritual power that transforms their lives because they know the Lord. 

Thankful for You!

November is my spiritual birthday month. I accepted Jesus as my Messiah in November 1970 as a young Jewish man searching for truth, just a couple of weeks before the Thanksgiving holiday. Rejoice with me, and, if you wish, send me a happy spiritual birthday note! 

On behalf of our staff in the United States, Israel, and twenty other countries across the globe, I want to thank you for your prayers, financial support, and for encouraging us in our mission to reach Jewish people everywhere with the gospel message.

Happy Thanksgiving and may the Lord fill you with hope and joy as you praise Him for who He is and what He has done! So, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good.Amen!

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[1]CRU is a Christian organization focused on evangelism and discipleship, founded in 1951 by Dr. Bill and Vonette Bright.