Tag Archives: evangelism

October 15, 2025 · 10:00 AM

Finding Hope in an Ancient Song: Psalm 22

Shalom in His grace! We all recognize that we are living in tough times. Wars in Israel and Ukraine, rising domestic violence, political and cultural polarization, and economic uncertainty cast a shadow on our lives as we try to do what is best for our family, ourselves, our communities . . . and our country! We are trying to stay positive and healthy at the same time, which makes hanging on to hope more important today than in days gone by. If we are to be fully honest with ourselves, each one of us is looking for solutions to the everyday stress that plagues our path during seasons of unrest. 

We need to find hope in a dark and difficult world.

So, let us take a few moments and explore how we might find a source for hope that can fuel the inspiration and encouragement we need to keep our lives and those of our families healthy and moving ahead, and to be both happy and productive.

The World is Turning Against Israel and the Jewish People

For those of us who are Jewish, we often feel like the entire world is turning against Israel and the Jewish people! We cannot avoid following what feels like a never-ending war between Israel and its neighbors. We recently memorialized the second anniversary of the October 7, 2023, attacks by Hamas upon the Jewish people. That day remains seared in our collective memory—a day when thousands of terrorists stormed across Israel’s border to murder, rape, and kidnap innocent men and women, young and old.

What makes this tragedy even more devastating, if you know the geography of Israel, is that many of the victims had dedicated their lives to building bridges with their Palestinian neighbors, which is why they chose to live on the Gaza border. Many of those killed believed in the possibility of peace and the dream of a unified society where Israelis and Palestinians could coexist. Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad met their hopeful, outstretched hands with hatred and violence.

The war that followed has so far claimed the lives of more than 1,000 young Israeli soldiers and countless innocent Palestinian civilians—victims of Hamas and other jihadist groups who have shown no mercy even to their own people. The conflict has spread, and Israel continues to face attacks from Lebanon, Yemen, and Iran, while antisemitism surges around the globe. Just when we thought it was safe to be Jewish in the modern world, the oldest hatred has reared its ugly head once again. We live in tumultuous times! It is natural to ask where we should turn for hope and comfort.

A Psalm of Abandonment and Hope

For Jewish people, it is easy to feel abandoned once again by the God who promised us that He would never leave us or break His covenants and promises with our people. After the Holocaust, countless Jewish people asked, “Where was God when six million of our people were being slaughtered?” Today, we find ourselves asking similar questions, such as, “Where was God on October 7?” or “Where is God now amid such intolerable suffering?”

How can we come to grips with our disappointment and find ongoing hope in His promises?? 

These are not new questions. They are as old as humanity itself and find a most soulful expression in the songs of the psalmist king. In Psalm 22, King David cried out with startling vulnerability: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Far from my deliverance are the words of my groaning. O my God, I cry by day, but You do not answer; and by night, but I have no rest” (Psalm 22:1–2).

Here we find a king—anointed by God Himself—feeling utterly abandoned. David did not pretend everything was fine. He did not offer vague statements about God’s mysterious ways. Instead, he gave voice to the question that haunts every human heart in times of crisis: “Where are you, God?”

I love the humanity of the biblical authors, especially as seen in the life of King David. He was worn out and weak, but, unlike many of us, he admitted it! He did not hide behind his throne or shade his real-life struggles with pious language. He simply told the truth about his experience.

David’s raw humanity and honesty are a foundation for healing and hope. He understood his own need for comfort and even transformation. He penned: “Yet You are holy, O You who are enthroned upon the praises of Israel. In You our fathers trusted; they trusted and You delivered them. To You they cried out and were delivered; In You they trusted and were not disappointed” (Psalm 22:3–5).

David placed his personal suffering within the larger story of his people, which is one of deliverance—of promises and hope fulfilled, even in his darkest hours.

From Despair to Declaration

The psalmist continues his journey from asking despairing questions to discovering a quiet confidence of hope and trust in God. By the end of the psalm, David made an extraordinary declaration: “Posterity will serve Him; it will be told of the Lord to the coming generation. They will come and will declare His righteousness to a people who will be born, that He has performed it” (Psalm 22:30–31).

What refashioned David’s cry of abandonment into a song of hope? It was not the absence of suffering, as the psalmist never denies the reality of his personal pain. Instead, David’s songs gave voice to a transcendent hope that rose above his difficult circumstances. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob called David “a man after His own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14)—not because David was perfect, but because he knew where to turn when attempts to find perfection failed him. David understood something profound about the human condition and the darkness of our hearts—our greatest strength often emerges from brokenness and defeat rather than from victories.

Hope for Today

Whether you find yourself wrestling with trauma, war, regret, or loss, Psalm 22 meets you exactly where you are. It speaks to the parent worried for their child’s safety, the soldier carrying both visible and invisible wounds, the young person questioning their future, and the older person weakened by age and reflecting on a lifetime of many joys and too many regrets.

I invite you, regardless of your background or beliefs, to explore these ancient songs that have sustained the Jewish people through exile and persecution and led to celebration and renewal. David’s words lead us to the hope he enjoyed through his deeply personal relationship with the God of Israel.

For millennia, everyday people have found comfort through the Psalms irrespective of their faith tradition. The Psalms welcome doubters, questioners, and the brokenhearted to encounter God Himself! The Psalms are so helpful for those who are struggling with faith or even questioning the existence of the God through whom King David found strength.   

Hope Amid Rejection

In Psalm 22, David moves from complaint to praise and from suffering to hope. The Psalm reveals the arc of faith itself, which is not a neat, tidy progression, but a genuine journey from darkness to light. When Jesus quoted this psalm from Golgotha, He reminded all within earshot that His story, too, was a journey from death to life, from crucifixion to resurrection, and from apparent defeat to ultimate victory.

Both Christians and Messianic Jews believe the Messiah, Yeshua (Jesus), quoted the first verse of Psalm 22 while hanging on the cross.He cried out,“My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Far from my deliverance are the words of my groaning.”

When we find ourselves crying out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”, we are joining a dialogue that started with David and one Yeshua reiterated—a conversation that concludes that feeling forsaken is not the same as being forsaken. The God who seemed absent was there all along. The God who appeared silent was orchestrating a symphony of circumstances leading to hope, which one only needed to recognize.

God’s presence is at the very heart of Psalm 22 as He makes His presence known to us during hard times in ways that we can miss when we are riding the tide of success and approval. The hard times teach us to trust the Lord, and so often His presence is far more powerful amid our struggles than in times of great triumph. It permits us to be honest about our pain, enables us to be persistent when we do not hear an answer, and provides the realization that our story does not end with abandonment, but rather with a full-on encounter with His love.

Psalm 22 is one of those great poetic and prophetic moments that leads Christians and Jewish people to seek a deeper and more intimate relationship with God, even when it seems as if our loving Father is not listening! The question we must ask ourselves and of the Lord Himself is, “How do we find this relationship with the God of Israel?” We need to ponder this question and that of the Messiah’s role. More specifically, we need to consider the Messianic psalms like Psalm 22 that find their fulfillment in the person of Jesus the Messiah.

As a Messianic Jew who has found Jesus to be the Messiah, this matter has been settled for me. If you do not yet have a deep personal relationship with the God who loves us, I hope you will continue to search for Him. I encourage you to keep reading, and if you do not have His shalom—a peace that transcends all human difficulties—my prayer is that you will keep reading and discover the One, the Messiah, to whom David pointed and through whom we can find peace with God! 

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September 30, 2025 · 9:00 AM

Two Years Later: Reflections on October 7 and Our Mission in Israel

As we mark two years since that devastating morning of October 7, 2023, I find myself reflecting not just on the horror of that day, but on what it means to love Israel—both as a Jewish person and as a believer in the Jewish Messiah, Yeshua (Jesus).

A Personal Connection to the Land

I grew up looking at pictures on my grandmother’s wall of relatives I would never meet—family members slaughtered in the Holocaust. So for me, as for so many other Jewish people, Israel represented something profound: a Jewish homeland rising from the ashes of our people’s greatest tragedy.

Now, as a Jewish believer in Yeshua, I feel more connected than ever to the land where He walked, taught, and gave His life. As a lover of Israel, my heart is heavy this month, two years since Hamas’s barbaric massacre in Israel on October 7, 2023. More than a thousand terrorists invaded the country, slaughtered more than 1,200 people, and took 251 as hostages.

The Current Reality: Numbers That Break Our Hearts

The statistics from October 7 and its aftermath paint a devastating picture:[1]

Hostages:

  • 251 precious souls taken hostage on October 7
  • 148 released through exchanges (8 of these are deceased)
  • 49 bodies retrieved by Israeli forces
  • 8 hostages rescued alive
  • 50 remain in captivity—Israel believes 28 are deceased
  • Among those still held, 2 people are from Thailand, 1 from Tanzania (confirmed dead), and 1 from Nepal
  • 4 additional hostages have been held since before the October 7 attack

Military Casualties:

  • 898 Israeli soldiers killed since October 7 in the Gaza war
  • 70 police officers killed
  • 329 (of the total number of Israeli soldiers killed since October 7) died on the Gaza border during Hamas’s initial assault
  • 454 (of the total number of Israeli soldiers killed since October 7) were killed during ground operations in Gaza
  • 80 soldiers and officers killed in operations with Hezbollah and other terror groups
  • Additional casualties from West Bank operations, Iranian attacks, and tragic accidents

Each number represents a family forever changed, dreams cut short, and futures stolen by Hamas and their Iranian backers.

Visiting the Places Where Evil Struck

This past June, I led a dedication tour of Israel with more than sixty supporters to inaugurate our new Messianic center in the Tel Aviv area. Part of our journey included visiting the sites where so much innocent blood was spilled.

In Sderot, we learned that Hamas infiltrated this border city through 191 points of entry, killing about fifty civilians and taking over the police station for twenty hours. This was a city where residents had regularly driven Palestinians to Israeli hospitals for medical care; Hamas destroyed this bridge of compassion with their brutality.

At the Nova Music Festival memorial site, we stood where nearly 4,000 young people had gathered for a weekend of music and friendship. Instead of a celebration, 400 beautiful souls were murdered in cold blood. The memorial displays dozens of photos and stories of students, artists, and dreamers who were mowed down while they were just seeking joy through music and community.

The “car graveyard” hit many of us hardest of all. We saw hundreds of civilian vehicles, twisted and burned, bearing bullet holes aimed deliberately at the people inside. These were not military targets but families simply going about their Saturday morning when Hamas terrorists opened fire indiscriminately.

When the War Came to Our New Center

Our tour took an unexpected turn when tensions escalated between Israel and Iran. After Israel struck Iranian nuclear facilities, Iran retaliated with ballistic missiles and drones. On the morning of June 19, while we were evacuating our tour group through Jordan (since all airlines had canceled flights out of Israel), we heard air raid sirens as missiles flew overhead toward Israel. Moments later, we received devastating news: Our brand-new, recently dedicated Messianic center had been hit by an Iranian ballistic missile.

It broke my heart to learn that the missile severely damaged the condo building that houses our new ministry center in a two-story, ground-level commercial space. However, we are grateful to report the structure is still sound.

Our former rented center directly across the street, which lost all its windows in the blast, has now been repaired. We renewed our lease for another year, allowing us to continue our ministry while completing the repairs to the new center.

Ministry amid Crisis

Even in the chaos, God opened doors for ministry. When we evacuated to Amman, Jordan (our only choice at the time), the hotel where we were staying filled 110 rooms with displaced families, including 100 children whose homes in the Tel Aviv suburb, Petach Tikva, took some direct hits from Iranian missiles and became unlivable. Our Israeli staff immediately sprang into action, organizing games and crafts for the children, providing hygiene products, and offering comfort to traumatized families.

As one staff member wrote, “We sense we are in this hotel for such a time as this. The children are very stressed by the alerts as they now really know from personal experience what can actually happen.” Through art supplies and listening ears, our team ministered to families who had lost everything, showing them God’s love in their darkest hour.

The Heart of the Conflict

What we witnessed reinforced a fundamental truth: This conflict is not simply about land or politics. It is a clash between those who sanctify life and those who worship death. Hamas, backed and funded by Iran, has shown its members value terrorism and destruction over the welfare of their own people. While Israel goes to extraordinary lengths to protect civilian life, Hamas deliberately uses Palestinian civilians as human shields to stay in power.

My heart aches for innocent Palestinians caught in this nightmare. They deserve leaders who build schools instead of tunnels, who seek prosperity instead of destruction, who choose hope over hatred. The tragedy is that Hamas and Iran have stolen their future just as surely as they have tried to steal the same from Israel.

We pray for and grieve for the innocent on both sides who have lost loved ones and for those who are no longer able to live in their homes, like those who lived in the apartments above our new center and who will not be able to get back into their homes for at least a year.

We do believe there is a food shortage in Gaza, which needs to be resolved, but reject the reasons proffered by many blaming Israel for these terrible circumstances. Hamas is at the root of the suffering in Gaza—not Israel, which is now the position of many of Israel’s Arab neighbors.[2]

How You Can Help

Despite the ongoing pain and the damage to our center, we refuse to let terror win. Where Hamas brought destruction, we choose to build. Where they spread hatred, we choose to remember love. Where they celebrated death, we choose to sanctify life.

We also desperately need your prayers. Pray for our staff ministering to traumatized families, for the return of the remaining hostages, comfort for their families, for wisdom in rebuilding, and for the peace of Jerusalem.

Together, we can ensure that the voices of those silenced on October 7 continue to be honored—not for revenge, but for remembrance; not for hatred, but for healing; not for despair, but for the hope found only through Jesus, Israel’s promised Messiah and the Savior of the world.

Thank you for standing with us in our ministry among His chosen people.

[1] These numbers are accurate at the time of writing this letter, but may change by the time you receive it.

[2] Jacob Magid, et al., “In 1st, Entire Arab League Condemns Oct. 7, Urges Hamas to Disarm, at 2-State Confab,” Times of Israel, July 30, 2025, https://www.timesofisrael.com/in-1st-entire-arab-league-condemns-oct-7-urges-hamas-to-disarm-at-2-state-solution-confab/.

You can find further information at the Coalition Against Antisemitism (opposeantisemitism.com).

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September 15, 2025 · 9:00 AM

Hope in Suffering

Fall is coming. You can feel it in the air. The growing chill of fall brings with it the Jewish high holidays. The Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), preceded by the Jewish New Year (Rosh Hashanah), is right around the corner. As a Jewish believer in Jesus, I believe each one of these festivals points to Jesus and that He not only fulfills each festival in remarkable ways but He also observed every one of them—perfectly. But because of His perfection, He met the righteous standards demanded by the Law.

Jesus was perfect and the only person qualified to be our sin-bearer. He is a perfect sacrifice . . . He is God in the flesh.

Isaiah wrote, “But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed. All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; but the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him”(Isaiah 53:5–6).

He died so that we can live and enjoy freedom, forgiveness, and salvation through His death and resurrection.

“He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him”(2 Corinthians 5:21)!

For millennia, our Jewish people sought atonement in many ways, but as a nation, we failed to seriously consider the possibility that Jesus was our Messiah. Some of this had to do with the way institutional Christianity treated the Jewish people throughout history, which turned the average Jewish person off to Jesus. But thank God this is changing, as many Jewish people today are beginning to turn to Him! Your Mission to the Jewish People is responding to this new openness to the gospel on the part of Jewish people in the United States, Israel, and across the globe.

For 131 years, we have been preaching the same gospel, including the perfection of His person and the redeeming power of His death and resurrection for men and women, enabling Jewish people and Gentiles to find salvation by trusting in Him and Him alone for the forgiveness of sin! 

As the author of Hebrews wrote:

But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation; and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. (Hebrews 9:11–12)

I love the high holiday season because it reminds me anew of the significance of the atonement, as well as the urgency and necessity of preaching the gospel to the Jewish people. We continue to serve because of your faithfulness and generous support in more than twenty North American cities and twenty countries around the globe.

Thank you for your partnership and love for the Jewish people and our staff.

The Message of the Gospel is Often Wrapped in Flesh

Jesus lived the message He preached and calls upon us to do the same. Have you ever thought of suffering as a means of preaching the gospel? There is great spiritual power in our suffering! Jesus demonstrated this, the apostles followed suit, and so did the early Christian martyrs. Suffering is one way God reveals His grace and power—especially when we follow His example and suffer with grace.

The apostle Peter understood this when he wrote,

Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation. If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. (1 Peter 4:12–14)

Our suffering is not redemptive and cannot take away sin, but it does empower our witness to the One who can.

As the apostle Paul declared, one of his deepest desires was, “That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death”(Philippians 3:10).

Identifying with the Sufferings of Jesus: A Testimony from Tel Aviv

Seventy of us recently learned this powerful spiritual lesson firsthand on a recent trip to Israel. We had the privilege of identifying with the Lord and the Jewish people through suffering, and to a person, we all agree that it was a great privilege to have the experience.

Let me tell you the story.

On June 14, 2025, after several nights together in a bomb shelter alongside other guests and hotel staff, we dedicated our new Messianic Center in Ramat Gan, a suburb of Tel Aviv. Just days later, on June 19, our beautiful new center was struck by an Iranian ballistic missile—an event that deeply marked our ministry, our staff, and our Mission. While we are grateful that no lives were lost, the physical damage to our center and surrounding buildings is significant. Yet, we believe that this suffering is not in vain. It has become a powerful testimony to our identification with the people of Israel and, through them, with the sufferings of the Messiah Himself.

We should be able to rebuild the new center within the next year. Meanwhile, we are continuing our ministry across the street as we have kept our rental facility for another year. Now is the time to bring Jesus’s love and grace to hurting Israelis, and we want to be there for Him and for them!

Sharing in Israel’s—and Messiah’s—Suffering

The missile strike on our new facility deepened our connection with the State of Israel. Our suffering has drawn us closer to the Savior, “a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief,” and to our Jewish people. Paul knew the meaning of suffering as well. He caused believers suffering in his former life. The apostle wrote to the Roman believers, “And if [we are] children, [we are] heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him”(Romans 8:17).

In suffering, we stand in solidarity with Israel—not as outsiders, but as Jewish and Gentile believers who love the Jewish people and have chosen to walk a path of discipleship marked by obedience, rejection, and sacrifice. Our Messiah walked this same path.

A Historical Commitment to the Jewish People

Chosen People Ministries’ connection to Israel is not new. Our roots stretch back to before Israel’s rebirth in 1948, when our early missionaries there ministered to Jewish communities in the land under the British mandate. We helped Holocaust survivors resettle and rebuild their lives, including some who came to faith and became foundational leaders in Israel’s Messianic movement. More recently, our work has grown among Russian-speaking Jewish immigrants and native Israelis alike.

Our commitment to Israel has always had its roots in love—for the people, for the land, and above all, for the Messiah who walked its soil. The bombing of our center is not the first time we have suffered, and it will not be the last. But it serves as a physical symbol of the truth—that we are willing to share in Israel’s sufferings because our Lord did, and we follow Him. 

Witnessing through Suffering

Paul’s words in Colossians 1:24 are particularly poignant: “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions.”Suffering is not pointless; it is purposeful. It draws us closer to Jesus, conforms us to His likeness, and becomes a testament to our love for Israel and the Jewish people.

Knowing His sufferings and the sufferings of our people motivates our Israeli staff to serve displaced families—and especially their children—in the wake of war by serving in the very places where missiles fell. One of our Israeli staff praised the Lord for the opportunity to care for more than one hundred displaced children and their families immediately after the missile strike. It was nothing short of providential. We were in the right place at the right time, able to bring healing, comfort, and the love of the Messiah to those who were hurting. In the future, we will be rebuilding alongside the one-hundred-plus families who also suffered loss because of the destruction caused by the Iranian missile. 

A Witness for the Future

We believe that the damage to our center—dedicated just two days before the missile strike—will serve as an ongoing testimony. It testifies to our love for Israel. It testifies to our willingness to suffer with our people. Ultimately, it testifies to the Suffering Servant, Yeshua the Messiah, who gave Himself not only for Israel but also for the nations.

In 2 Corinthians 4:17, Paul reminds us, “For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison.” We cling to that hope, and we press on—not despite our sufferings, but through them.

As we await the day when Yeshua returns to rule and reign from Jerusalem, we will continue to minister in His name among His people and in His love and embrace the privilege of suffering for His glory!

I cannot thank you enough for your faithfulness and pray you will join us in our Rebuilding Israel Campaign.

In light of the rise in antisemitic outbreaks around the world, the ongoing battles in the land, and the public relations war involving Israel, this year will be crucial for Your Mission to the Jewish People and the nation of Israel . . . let’s stand together.

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August 15, 2025 · 9:00 AM

Sheltering under His Wings

There is now a temporary peace between Israel and Iran, and we hope and pray it holds and that the actions of both the Israeli and United States military have neutralized the nuclear threat Iran posed to Israel and the free world.  

A New Understanding of Sheltering!

The word “sheltering” is the term our Israel staff families use to let us know they are safely in bomb shelters as missiles rain overhead from Iran, Hamas, the Houthis, and Hezbollah.

This beautiful and impactful Hebrew word for shelter, סֵתֶר (seter), is found throughout the Bible, but especially in the Psalms. For example, one of the most well-known uses appears Psalm 91:

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust!” For it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with His pinions, and under His wings you may seek refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark (Psalm 91:1–4).

Seter is often used to refer to the secret place where God hides His saints. The following are some other wonderful and comforting passages where seter is used to describe God protecting His people:

  1.  “You are my hiding (סֵתֶר) place; You preserve me from trouble; You surround me with songs of deliverance” (Psalm 32:7).
  2.  “In the secret place (סֵתֶר) of His tent He will hide me” (Psalm 27:5).
  3. “You hide them in the secret place (סֵתֶר) of Your presence” (Psalm 31:20).

This word has taken on a new depth of meaning for me after spending a few weeks in Israel this summer. Over the past year and a half, my dear brothers and sisters in Israel have been bombarded by missiles from various sources: Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and more recently and intensively, from Iran. Iran sent hundreds of drones and ballistic, cruise, and hypersonic missiles loaded with explosives.

The first two waves came through Iranian proxies—Hamas and Hezbollah—who Iran has been supporting, arming, and encouraging! Let us not forget that on October 7, 2023, thousands of Hamas terrorists stormed into Israel, mercilessly killing innocent young Israelis at a music festival, on an army base, and then turned their ire onto various settlements in what is known as the “Gaza envelope.” By the end of that day, more than 1,200 people were murdered, 250 were kidnapped, and since the defensive war began, more than 1,000 Israeli soldiers have been killed as well.

When the war in 2023 started, almost 700 days ago, our staff—mostly younger Israelis and many with small children—would rush to bomb shelters throughout the night and sometimes during the day. Through their WhatsApp group, they would let everyone know they were safe in their shelters by using the English word sheltering as a code word for safety.

Our Tel Aviv Messianic Center’s Dedication Tour Interrupted

In mid-June, I led a tour of sixty devoted followers of Jesus and lovers of Israel on our dedication tour that marked the opening of our new Tel Aviv Messianic Center. Little did we know that on our way through the tour, Israel would attack Iran’s nuclear facilities and many military positions to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. Soon Iran’s proxies would regularly fire missiles, which drove us to visit the bomb shelters. For days we heard the blasting sirens at least twice a night and sometimes during the day.

Israel’s leaders had sufficient reason to believe that Iran and its military leaders had manufactured enough nuclear material to put together at least a half a dozen nuclear projectiles that would undoubtedly magnify their efforts to destroy Israel. The leaders of the Jewish state chose to act quickly to neutralize this threat, as well as the Iranian military infrastructure. Israel was able to stage a preemptive strike and, though not perfect, the Israeli Air Force was able to significantly reduce Iran’s nuclear capabilities.

However, Iran still launched hundreds of various types of missiles into Israel. Most were shot down by Israel and the United States, but some made it through, killing people and damaging homes, schools, hospitals, and other buildings, including our rented center and our new center, which was dedicated two days before the attack.

Helping Those Displaced by War

Let me tell you what happened immediately after Iran’s intensive bombing on Israel and then give you some idea of how you can help. I received this email from a staff member—at that time still at the last hotel where our group stayed—the day I began leading our sixty-plus tour participants out of Israel through Amman, Jordan:

When the tour group left, we noticed the hotel lobby filling with families from a building that took a direct hit from an Iranian rocket. There were 110 hotel rooms of people who arrived with over 100 children. I immediately went to the manager and asked if we can do something to help the children. They gave us a room that was used for displaced children earlier in the war. It was dirty and disorganized, so we cleaned it up and began offering the parents a place with games and crafts as well as helpers for their kids.

We have now coordinated with the hotel and have a team of social workers, along with a volunteer community group, who works with kids, but it’s not nearly enough. As some of us engaged the kids, others spoke and prayed with moms and offered an ear and comfort to people who were displaced and frazzled. We are also supplying some personal hygiene items and diapers. Since we were still at the hotel after the tour, we decided to prolong our stay for a week to try and serve these newly displaced Israeli families in practical ways and show them the love of God through Jesus the Messiah.

Please pray as the people don’t know how long they will stay here or where they will go. The children are very stressed by the sirens and the level of threat to their families and homes. 

Thank you for your prayers and for the support Chosen People Ministries is providing so that we can serve needy and hurting Israelis and their children.

Helping the Helpers!

Let me share a few ideas about how you can partner with us during Israel’s time of need. Our ministries in Israel must continue and increase more than ever before, as the need is overwhelming.

  1. Chosen People Ministries needs to meet the physical and material needs of Israelis in the name of Jesus, as the Messiah also fed and cared for those He was seeking to save.
  2. Israel needs the prayers and support of the global church:
    • Please pray for Israel’s defense, and for nations of the world and the media to be more supportive of Israel.
    • Pray for the victims of the Iranian regime whose ideology is shared by the Houthis, Hamas, and Hezbollah. Please also pray that, along with Israelis, the innocent in those countries ruled by these terrorist groups discover the love of God and His ability to shelter us from evil.

It is wonderful to see how many Israelis and Jewish people outside Israel recognize that truly devoted Christians have a deep and abiding love for the Jewish people and the State of Israel.

We know Israel is not perfect, nor is any country or human being. Because of that universal reality, we need to live our lives in the shelter of His presence and help others discover the real peace that comes from the presence of the Lord. More than anything else, the Jewish people need to know the Lord, and our global staff is bringing the gospel message to Israelis and Jewish people, young and old, around the globe.

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August 1, 2025 · 10:00 AM

Jesus Is Changing Lives In Israel

I recently returned from a difficult trip in Israel; the war with Iran began when I was there with about sixty staff and partners! You may have heard our new Tel Aviv Messianic Center was damaged by an Iranian missile. Please pray for us as we begin the repairs.

Despite these setbacks, we have seen remarkable growth take place since war started in October 2023, including eleven new believers whom our staff are now mentoring and discipling! What an encouraging sign of God’s work in Israel. Attendance at our Bible studies continues to increase, with many eagerly coming to engage deeply with Scripture.

So, allow me to share with you some wonderful testimonies of how Jesus is changing lives and resurrecting hope in the hearts of many forlorn Israelis who live beneath the grim shadow of war and hate.

  • Upon reaching rock bottom and planning to end her life, Devorah* encountered Jesus and came to faith! She began attending our young adult group and read through the entire New Testament. She also meets every other week with one of our staff for mentoring, Bible reading, and prayer. She is passionate about following the Lord and eager to use her large social media platform to share about the radical way Jesus has transformed her life. 
  • One of our ministry staff members, along with his Greek-Israeli friend, an accomplished bouzouki (a stringed instrument) player, unexpectedly found himself in high demand for concerts among Israeli soldiers. What began as an outreach to severely wounded soldiers in hospitals has grown into a broader and greater ministry where our staff member and his friend minister regularly through music and the Psalms to entire units! Our staff member explains, “We always make it clear that we are believers, that they are not alone, and that Christians in the United States are praying for them.” The impact is visible as many respond with weary but grateful smiles, singing, and even dancing! In one particularly moving moment, a young woman suffering from chronic pain was brought to tears as the team gathered around her in prayer. What began as a simple offering of compassion, the Lord has multiplied into a powerful display of love, encouragement, and hope amid overwhelming need.
  • A few months ago, one of our workers came across an elderly believer friend in the mall who needed strength to care for his ailing wife. Our staff members now make regular visits to his family, which has helped our friend better care for his wife. God wonderfully redeemed a dire situation!
  • At a recent Sabbath dinner, one of our staff members engaged in a meaningful conversation with a new believer, Hadas*, who began following Jesus only a few months ago. Hadas came with many questions, which led to a deep and enriching spiritual discussion involving several believers. Afterward, she shared that the conversation had significantly increased her understanding and sparked a desire in her to read and grow in her knowledge of the Bible!
  • Recently, one of our staff joined a ladies’ brunch and small prayer meeting where each woman shared how God had stretched her faith and revealed His faithfulness. One woman testified how the Lord led her to the right apartment outside Tel Aviv and then provided a car within her budget. Another woman shared how, just as her lease was ending and while she was still job hunting, God miraculously provided both a new job and an apartment nearby—right on time! We are grateful for this growing community and sisterhood where younger and older believers alike are able to come together and encourage and pray for one another. Praise God for such sweet fellowship!
  • Our staff recently had the tremendous privilege of exploring the book of Ruth with a group of young adults. We noticed that the young adults were not just listening but were engaging thoughtfully, reflecting personally, and connecting the teaching to their own lives. After the sessions, our staff had meaningful conversations with the men and women in attendance. Many shared how the study opened their eyes to new perspectives, challenged them to think deeply, and even stirred some to action. When the teaching ended, they did not just rush off to chit-chat but lingered, asked hard questions, and shared what was on their hearts. They wanted to pray together, wrestle with the truth of Scripture, and let it shape their lives. The Bible study is alive and bearing fruit! God’s truth is transforming lives!

As we transition into our new facility in Tel Aviv this month, we believe even greater opportunities for ministry lie ahead because of the Lord’s blessing on our work and because of your faithful prayers and support! We could not have made it this far without you. I pray and ask you to continue partnering with us to show the love of Jesus to His own people in this hour of dire need.

Let’s Act Now!

Like many heroes of the faith during World War II who saved Jewish lives and fought antisemitism, the actions we take now will write history, as the next generation of Bonhoeffers and ten Booms rise up to take their stand with God’s chosen people.

First of all, please pray for the peace of Jerusalem and for the safety and well-being of Jewish people in Israel and around the globe. I was recently in England where there are pro-Hamas protests almost every day throughout London. As the psalmist wrote, “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: ‘May they prosper who love you’” (Psalm 122:6).

This is a prayer with a promise. So, please pray for the Jewish people, for Israel, and for your Jewish friends and associates. Please pray that, by turning to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob through Jesus the Messiah, the peace of Jesus would fill the hearts of Jewish people who are seeking answers to questions about the fragility of life.

Jewish people feel threatened by the plague of antisemitism spreading throughout the world at this critical moment in human history. As Charles Dickens wrote, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” The worst because Israelis and many Jewish people feel threatened by growing antisemitism in the West, and even in the United States; the best because Israelis are turning to spiritual truth to fill the void in their souls. Many, especially those under forty, are seeking hope, peace, and stability, and they are finding it through the love of Messiah Jesus. Please pray and take action against anti-Jewish and anti-Israel hatred around the globe, and continue to spread God’s Word to the Jewish people.

I always ask my Gentile believing brothers and sisters to think about sharing the gospel with the Jewish people and to keep Jewish evangelism from becoming the Great Omission of the Great Commission! As the apostle Paul shared in Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”

Paul reminds the Gentile believers to make the Jewish people jealous of the Jewish Messiah who lives in the heart of every true follower of Jesus. He wrote in Romans 11:11, “I say then, they did not stumble so as to fall, did they? May it never be! But by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make them jealous.”

We recently held two gospel proclamation campaigns in both the United States (Shalom New York) and in London (Shalom London). These went well, although we did receive some opposition from anti-Israel protestors, who waved Hamas and Palestinian flags together, making it clear what these misinformed souls supported. The Lord gave us the opportunity to share the gospel with many of these who seem to hate the Jewish people, but for whom Jesus died. We spoke to hundreds of people about the Lord on the streets of these two great cities with a combined Jewish population of about three million.

We are about to walk into the hornets’ nest by beginning a residential university outreach at Columbia University. Undeterred by pro-Hamas and anti-Israel sentiments at the school, we will be renting an apartment and deploying three workers on campus. They will align their schedules with the university calendar and spend each day sharing the good news with students. We are doing the same at New York University, which has similar challenges with anti-Israel activists. 

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July 15, 2025 · 9:00 AM

Hineni! Isaiah’s Call and Ours

We live in turbulent times, which is why it is so important that we put our trust in the Lord and make ourselves available for service. We have an inspiring example of this in the ancient Hebrew prophet Isaiah. There is no place where the character and commitment of the prophet are more clearly seen than when God Himself called him to ministry (Isaiah 6).

Isaiah’s call came around 740 BCE, when the kingdom of Judah stood at a crossroads. King Uzziah, who had reigned for fifty-two years, was dead. With his passing came uncertainty, fear, and the looming shadow of Assyrian aggression on the horizon.

For Isaiah, this was not just a national crisis—it was personal. He had lived and prophesied during Uzziah’s reign, warning of God’s judgment upon a people whose hearts had grown cold. Now, as political stability crumbled, so, too, did any illusion that his words had made a difference. The vineyard of Israel, as he would later describe it, was about to be trampled and laid waste (Isaiah 5:5–6).

In this moment of profound despair and seeming failure, God revealed Himself to Isaiah in a way that would forever transform the prophet’s life.

A Vision of Glory

Isaiah described his extraordinary divine encounter as follows: “In the year of King Uzziah’s death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple” (Isaiah 6:1).

Amid earthly loss and uncertainty, Isaiah was granted a glimpse of the true King who would never die, seated on His eternal throne, lifted above all others in the heavens. 

The terms used to describe God’s posture are “high and lifted up,” which also match the prophet’s description of the Messiah in Isaiah 52:13, “Behold, My servant will prosper, He will be high and lifted up and greatly exalted.” These words offer a further hint of the divine nature of the coming Servant of the Lord.

The imagery is striking as the train of God’s robe filled the entire Temple. This vision provides our first glimpse into the heart of Isaiah’s message—amid human frailty and failing kingdoms, God’s sovereign rule remains unshaken and all-encompassing.

Above this throne were the seraphim, fiery angelic beings whose very name recalls the “fiery serpents” of Israel’s wilderness wanderings (Numbers 21:4–9). Their thunderous chorus echoed through the Temple, “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory” (Isaiah 6:3).

The Hebrew word for “holy” (kadosh) means set apart. Three times, the seraphim declared God’s utter otherness—His complete separation from sin and creation. This repetition is not mere poetry but a profound expression of God’s triune nature, although Isaiah himself may not have fully comprehended this mystery. As the seraphim proclaimed God’s holiness, the very foundations of the Temple thresholds trembled, and smoke filled the sanctuary. 

The Cleansing of a Prophet

In the presence of this overwhelming holiness, Isaiah could only see one thing clearly—his own unworthiness, “Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts” (Isaiah 6:5). The Hebrew word for “ruined” (damah) means utterly destroyed. Isaiah recognized that his prophetic lips were unclean (tamey), the same term used throughout Leviticus to describe ritual impurity. 

Isaiah may have wondered how a man with unclean lips and an unclean heart could speak God’s holy word. How could he condemn Israel’s sin when he himself was so deeply flawed? Yet, God’s response to Isaiah’s confession reveals the core of the gospel message:

Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal in his hand, which he had taken from the altar with tongs. He touched my mouth with it and said, “Behold, this has touched your lips; and your iniquity is taken away and your sin is forgiven” (Isaiah 6:6–7).

The coal was not just any coal, but one taken from the altar of sacrifice—drenched in the blood of atonement. The seraph’s touch did not just cleanse Isaiah’s lips for prophetic speech. It provided comprehensive forgiveness. His iniquity was taken away, and his sin atoned for by the shed blood of the sacrifice (Leviticus 17:11).

Again, we see a foreshadowing of the Messiah. Just as Isaiah received cleansing through sacrificial blood, we receive forgiveness through the ultimate sacrifice of Yeshua (Jesus). Additionally, like Isaiah, our cleansing is not just a one-time event from years ago but a daily reality that enables us to be intimate with God and prepares us for service. 

Saying Yes to God

Encountering God’s holiness and experiencing His cleansing grace positioned Isaiah to hear God’s call: “Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?’ Then I said, ‘Here am I. Send me!’” (Isaiah 6:8).

The Hebrew phrase, “Here am I” (hineni) is far more than a statement of physical presence. It is a declaration of complete availability and readiness to follow orders. Throughout Scripture, this response marks moments of profound encounter with God: Abraham said, “Hineni!” when God called him to sacrifice Isaac (Genesis 22:1); Moses said it when God spoke from the burning bush (Exodus 3:4); and Samuel said it when God called him as a boy in the Temple (1 Samuel 3:4).

Each of these instances represented a turning point—a moment when ordinary people made themselves fully available to an extraordinary God. 

The Challenge of Faith

What makes Isaiah’s story so remarkable is what happened after he said, “Hineni.” Isaiah received perhaps the most discouraging commission in Scripture:

Go, and tell this people: “Keep on listening, but do not perceive; keep on looking, but do not understand.” Render the hearts of this people insensitive, their ears dull, and their eyes dim, otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and return and be healed. (Isaiah 6:9–10)

God was essentially telling Isaiah he would preach, but the people would not listen, and his preaching would make their hearts harder. No wonder Isaiah responded with the anguished question: “Lord, how long?” The answer was equally devastating: “Until cities are devastated and without inhabitant, houses are without people and the land is utterly desolate” (Isaiah 6:11).

The Hebrew prophet teaches us some great lessons in evangelistic patience, which is what many of us who serve with Chosen People Ministries have learned. We know that the day is coming when the Lord will turn the hearts of the Jewish nation to Jesus (Romans 11:25–29), even though we are eager and pray for our Jewish people to come to know their Messiah right now. 

The Promise of the Remnant

Even amid this dire commissioning, God offered Isaiah a glimmer of hope about a faithful remnant, “Yet there will be a tenth portion in it, and it will again be subject to burning, like a terebinth or an oak whose stump remains when it is felled. The holy seed is its stump” (Isaiah 6:13).

This doctrine of a remnant runs throughout Scripture. The prophet predicts that even though Israel might be cut down like a tree, the stump—a faithful remnant—would remain, preserving the possibility of new growth. The apostle Paul would also later write: “In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time a remnant according to God’s gracious choice” (Romans 11:5).

This remnant doctrine allows us to redefine success in evangelism. We are called to faithfulness, not visible results. We proclaim the gospel to all, knowing some will reject it while others—the remnant God has prepared—will receive it. The Lord has called us to faithfully proclaim the good news and let Him bring the good result!

Our Hineni Moment

What does Isaiah’s experience mean for us today? Like him, we live in uncertain times. Like him, we may feel our witness falls on deaf ears. Like him, we are painfully aware of our own unworthiness.

Yet Isaiah’s vision offers us hope. The same commission—difficult though it may be—comes with the same promise of a remnant who will believe.

Therefore, knowing His forgiveness and in obedience to His call:

  • We preach whether people respond positively or not.
  • We preach until the opportunity is no longer available.
  • We preach, confident in God’s promise to preserve a faithful remnant for Yeshua.

We do not measure our success by visible results but by our faithfulness to the gospel. Our motivation comes not from confidence in our own abilities but from a vision of God’s glory and grace through Jesus.

Are we ready to say hineni—to be available to God and to serve Him in bringing the message of Yeshua to the Jew first and also to the Gentiles (Romans 1:16)? May we, like Isaiah, be transformed by a vision of God’s holiness, cleansed by His grace and compelled by His call to say with sincere hearts, “Hineni, send me.”

Thank you for your love, faithful support, and prayers for our global staff who call on the Lord for His holy purposes while reaching Jewish people for the Messiah.

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June 2, 2025 · 9:00 AM

Prophecy and Politics in the Middle East 

Shalom, in the name of the Prince of Peace—Jesus the Messiah. I am now in Israel, and we are touring the country with two busloads full of faithful prayer partners and watchmen for Jerusalem (Isaiah 62:6–7). We are also celebrating the dedication of our new Tel Aviv Messianic Center. What a joyous occasion! 

The Lord is moving powerfully in the Holy Land! Young adults are coming to faith in Jesus as Messiah, and the entire body of believers, tempered by suffering, is growing by leaps and bounds. The number of people coming to the Lord is more than I have ever seen, and the maturity of leaders and congregants is remarkable. It is so true that we grow the most through adversity. 

I can also confirm that the entire nation of Israel is under incredible stress. Political tensions are virtually intolerable, and there are still dozens of hostages and hostage families who have not seen their loved ones for almost two years. 

So again, please pray for our staff, many of whom are quite young and are going through hardships that are causing them to grow up more quickly than we would wish. So many of the believers in the land are still running in and out of bomb shelters and back and forth between reserve duty in the Israel Defense Forces and civilian life. They desperately need our love, support, and, most of all, our prayers. Please join us in begging the Lord for the peace of Jerusalem by praying for the local Israeli believers and, especially, for the Israel staff of Your Mission to the Jewish People. 

PROPHECY AND POLITICS

As believers, we must also understand that today’s events were predicted in the Bible. This helps remind us that we serve a God who knows the beginning and the end and holds Israel in His covenantal grip. 

When praying for the Jewish people and for Israel, it is very helpful to understand the landscape of the modern Middle East through the eyes and words of the Jewish prophets.

The biblical prophecies about the nations surrounding Israel provide a framework for understanding current geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. The prophet Zechariah speaks of Jerusalem becoming “a cup that causes reeling to all the peoples around” (Zechariah 12:2), and that there will come a time when all nations will gather against Jerusalem: “It will come about in that day that I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples; all who lift it will be severely injured. And all the nations of the earth will be gathered against it” (Zechariah 12:3). 

These verses seem to describe the current tensions with Israel as she is surrounded by nations with varying degrees of hostility. These developments, which suggest the prophetic scenario of nations gathering against Jerusalem, may very well be unfolding before our eyes.

The Bible, through the prophet Zechariah as well as Amos, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, assures us that God will act on behalf of His chosen people Israel and prevent the nation from being destroyed. The Messiah Jesus will return in glory and majesty to rule on David’s throne and rescue His people who will recognize Him in His coming. The main text to keep in mind as you read the remainder of this president’s prayer letter is Zechariah 12:9–10:

And in that day I will set about to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. “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 on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn.”

ESCALATING THREATS IN THE REGION

Let us take a few moments to find out the major Middle East players and assess what Israel might face today and tomorrow from her neighbors. We will look at the current Middle East through the lens of Scripture by learning more about some of Israel’s neighbors: Iran, Syria, Lebanon, Russia, Iraq, and Yemen. The escalating threats from Iran and Lebanon in particular represent a serious concern for Israel’s security for several reasons at this present moment.

Iran

Iran maintains openly hostile relations with Israel, with its leadership continuing to threaten Israel’s existence. The country actively supports armed proxies across the region, including Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad, Hamas, the Houthis, and various militias in Syria and Iraq. Iran’s nuclear program represents an existential threat to Israel, and Israeli leaders have repeatedly stated they will not allow Iran to develop nuclear weapons. Israel has increased cyber and intelligence operations targeting Iran’s nuclear infrastructure and supply chains in response to these threats.

Syria

Following the fall of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, Syria is now under a transitional government led by Prime Minister Mohammed al-Bashir. It has a temporary constitution signed in March 2025, placing the country under Islamist rule. Israel continues to conduct airstrikes targeting Iranian supply lines and militia bases inside Syria. The northern border remains volatile, especially following the recent Hezbollah conflict.

Lebanon

After a devastating recent war with Israel, Lebanon formed a new government under President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, aiming to implement reforms and reduce Hezbollah’s influence. However, Hezbollah, while pushed back during the 2024 war, was not eliminated. Israel continues to hold Lebanon responsible for Hezbollah’s actions. While the new Lebanese government has pledged reform, Israel remains wary and continues heavy surveillance and occasional cross-border operations.

Russia (Gog/Magog)

Russia’s continued involvement in Middle Eastern affairs, particularly its support of Iran’s nuclear program, potentially places it in a position to fulfill the prophetic role described in Ezekiel 38–39 (Gog/Magog) of leading a coalition against Israel. Russia’s threat to Israel has been evolving through its growing alignment with Iran and continued influence in Syria. Despite the fall of Assad altering some dynamics, Russia still coordinates its Israel posture in sync with Syria. While diplomatic channels remain open between Russia and Israel, especially regarding air operations over Syria, Russia’s deepening relationship with Iran poses a threat. Israel walks a careful line, avoiding open alignment with NATO to preserve its operational freedom near Russian military assets in Syria. 

Iraq (Babylon)

The prophetic significance of Babylon (modern Iraq) keeps this nation relevant and could be part of the potential end-time coalition that will gather against Israel (Jeremiah 50–51; Revelation 17–18). While Iraq does not pose as direct a threat to Israel as Iran or Syria, it remains a concern due to the presence of Iranian-backed militias operating in the country. Israel monitors these groups and has allegedly carried out covert strikes against them. Iraq’s constitutional opposition to normalization with Israel and strong pro-Palestinian public sentiment create a hostile environment. 

Yemen

Yemen represents a more complex case. The country has been embroiled in civil war since 2014, with the Iran-backed Houthi rebels controlling significant territory. The Houthis have demonstrated hostility toward Israel, particularly during the Gaza conflict. The Houthis continue to launch missiles and drones toward Israeli territory.

OUR ROLE AS JESUS FOLLOWERS IN THESE LAST DAYS

These escalating threats from nations that will rise against Israel in the end times align with biblical prophecies. This current grouping of nations hostile to Israel underscores the importance of standing with Israel, both spiritually and practically. As these prophetic scenarios potentially unfold, Israel will need support from those who understand God’s promises regarding His people. We need to pray for the Jewish people during this heart-wrenching season, especially for the hostages and for the leaders of the nation. 

We can also take some joy in knowing that the number of Israelis who follow Jesus as their Messiah is growing. For example, our Psalms of Hope Campaign, where we offer a free download of a modern Hebrew version of the Psalms, has crossed the 5,000-download mark, which is incredible. To think that so many Israelis are seeking a more intimate relationship with God through reading the Psalms is encouraging. Those who downloaded the Psalms are now one step closer to finding Jesus, who often quoted the many prophecies about Himself in the Psalms. 

After spending time with our staff for the last two weeks, I am again impressed with their love and dedication for the Lord and our Jewish people. 

We believe now is the time to reach Israelis with the gospel, as we see the storm clouds rising and the vision of the Middle East envisioned by the prophets of Israel beginning to take shape. 

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May 1, 2025 · 10:00 AM

Reaching Jewish Students on College Campuses: A Call to Stand and Serve

College campuses are some of the most spiritually open places in our society. It is no exaggeration to say that many young people, including Jewish students, make life-altering decisions during these formative years. 

A STRATEGIC AND TIMELY OPPORTUNITY

The Jewish student population in the United States exceeds 400,000. New York University (NYU) alone has over 6,000 Jewish undergraduates, making it one of the largest concentrations of Jewish students outside of Israel. Columbia and Barnard College (its affiliated women’s college) are not far behind. Together, they represent a vital mission field. 

THE CRISIS ON CAMPUS: THE GROWTH OF ANTISEMITISM

In recent months, the surge in antisemitic rhetoric and incidents on college campuses has been unprecedented. In the 2023–2024 school year, the Anti-Defamation League recorded over 1,400 antisemitic events linked to higher education institutions—a fivefold increase over the previous year.1 At Columbia, Jewish students have been labeled “Zionist aggressors,” with their photos and names posted publicly. Others have found their dorm room doors vandalized with anti-Israel graffiti. One Columbia student told the press, “I’m scared to wear a Jewish star here.”2 Protesters have stormed campus buildings shouting slogans like “From the river to the sea,” which many Jewish people understand as a call for the eradication of Israel. 

At NYU, students wearing Jewish symbols have been verbally harassed, and one Jewish student was assaulted during a protest. In November, Students for Justice in Palestine organized a rally outside the Stern School of Business that blocked entrances and featured chants praising “resistance” in the name of Gaza. Some students reported being spat on. In another case, flyers were distributed accusing specific students of supporting “genocide” because they expressed pro-Israel views. These incidents have created a climate where many Jewish students feel isolated or afraid to speak. 

Despite national media attention, administrative responses have often lagged and incidents ignored, leaving Jewish students feeling abandoned. The Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights has launched investigations into both NYU and Columbia. 

THE TRADITIONAL APPROACH TO JEWISH MINISTRY ON CAMPUS

For many years we have conducted a more traditional approach to Jewish ministry on campus and continue to do so, setting up book tables and trying to start spiritual conversations. God has used these efforts to impact students on campus—especially in the current environment where so many students are exhibiting antisemitic behavior. 

For example, a staff member in Boston gives the following testimony, 

In response to the rise of antisemitism on college campuses, especially in Boston, I felt called to stand with Jewish students. In response to the rise of antisemitism on college campuses, especially in Boston, my team and I set up book tables at Harvard, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Boston University, Northeastern, and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst (UMASS-Amherst).

At UMASS, we set up our book table right outside of the student union, and immediately the Lord opened many conversations with Jewish students. At one time I had five Jewish students standing around my table. One student was a regular at the Hillel House [a Jewish student group with chapters nationwide], another girl was more secular, then a young Jewish kid came to join us from Long Island, NY, and finally two more Jewish students joined in — one being from Israel and the other coming from a traditional Jewish home. Each took an evangelistic pamphlet, and two left with a copy of the New Testament, which I always carry with me. 

A RESIDENTIAL MINISTRY TO JEWISH STUDENTS: THE HOUSE OF LIVING WATERS

Hostility toward Jewish students and Israel makes our ministry of on-campus presence more important than ever. The idea is simple but powerful: young adults live in community near a major campus, host regular outreach events, and form deep, personal relationships with Jewish students. In contrast to pop-up evangelism, the House of Living Waters creates stability and trust. The model has proven effective, as the following testimonies from some of the program leaders indicate! 

Henry 

House of Living Waters in the past months has seen extraordinary growth in what can only be understood as the Lord ’s provision. We had an event on the NYU campus, an interfaith Purim party, and students were engaged and desiring more events from our team. We continue to have our Sabbath dinners and Bible study, which has built up a community of believers and not-yet-believers who are excited to see the community provided through the program. We are partnering with many student groups to continue reaching the campus, engaging with students, and building a lasting community within these campuses. 

Sergey 

“So, what is House of Living Waters doing?” This was the question that two rabbis asked me at Rutgers University while we hosted a Purim event on campus. I had an amazing conversation with them about who we are and what we do on campuses, and I told them that we would love to connect in the future and maybe do something together. Please keep praying for our work in Columbia while we establish the ministry there and specifically for our upcoming events with both Jewish and non-Jewish students. 

Charlene 

House of Living Waters has seen incredible growth this school year. We are hopeful about the connections we are building at NYU, and as we launch at Columbia and even Rutgers. It has been an encouragement to see Jewish and non-Jewish students engage with us at our weekly Sabbath dinners and events. At NYU, one student leader said they were happy to partner with us given all the antisemitism and unrest that has been taking place on university campuses. As a result, Christian students are excited about connecting their Jewish friends with us, and Jewish students have shown an interest in our effort to create a community for Jewish-Christian dialogue. 

NYU, COLUMBIA, BARNARD. . . AND TO THE UTTERMOST CAMPUSES!

NYU is not only in the heart of a Jewish population center, but it also houses over twenty active Jewish student organizations. These groups represent not only strategic access points for Jewish engagement but also spiritual battlegrounds where Jewish students are searching for truth. 

Christian groups are present and active as well. At NYU, InterVarsity, CRU, Reformed University Fellowship (RUF), and others have welcomed partnership with our House of Living Waters team. We are working to strengthen collaboration with these groups so they can more confidently reach out to their Jewish friends and classmates. We hope to begin a House of Living Waters program at Columbia in the fall. 

A SNAPSHOT OF OUR OUTREACH

Evangelism: The men at our current House of Living Waters program based at NYU engage students in dorms, coffee shops, and at public events. Through partnerships with CRU, InterVarsity, RUF, and others, our staff are invited into conversations with Christian students who long to reach their Jewish friends. 

Sabbath Dinners: These are the heartbeat of the program. Every week, students come for a home-cooked meal, warm conversation, and spiritual reflection. These Friday evening meals and Bible studies often lead to further questions about the Messiah and what it means to be Jewish and believe in Jesus. 

Discipleship: Those who serve as part of the House of Living Waters are often recent college graduates themselves, so this wonderful outreach program also serves as a powerful tool of training and discipleship for this next-generation team of dedicated, Jesus-focused young adults. The team members are trained in apologetics, theology, and pastoral care, with ongoing personal mentorship by more experienced Chosen People Ministries staff. 

FUTURE PLANS AND THE CALL TO MULTIPLY

We believe God is calling us to replicate the House of Living Waters in other strategic university cities: Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, and Toronto—to name a few. Each city has a dense Jewish population and major university presence. With the success we have seen at NYU and growing relationships at Columbia and Rutgers, we are eager to build. Each participant receives a stipend each month and free housing in exchange for a year-long commitment to outreach and discipleship. Their week includes a Friday night Sabbath dinner, Bible studies, Jewish holiday celebrations, and strategic evangelism. 

Thanks for caring and for building the future of Jewish evangelism on campus together with Your Mission to the Jewish People.

  1. “Anti-Israel Activism on U.S. Campuses, 2023-2024,” ADL, updated February 7, 2025, https://www.adl.org/re-sources/report/anti-israel-activism-us-campuses-2023-2024.
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  2. Ali Bauman and Christina Fan, “Columbia University Protesters Taken into Custody after Day of Unrest on Campus,” CBS News, updated on April 18, 2024, https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/columbia-university-pro-palestinian-pro-israeli-protests/. ↩︎

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April 15, 2025 · 9:00 AM

The Resurrection of Jesus in the Hebrew Scriptures

Shalom and Happy Resurrection Day!

I still remember the day when, as a young, nineteen-year-old Jewish man, I realized that Jesus was the Messiah and that He died for my sins and rose from the dead. Boy, was I surprised! 

I had a somewhat secular upbringing with elements of Modern Orthodox Jewish tradition. I knew what I should believe and observe, but my mom and dad did not believe or follow it all, and neither did I. Yet, for some reason, my parents wanted me to have a traditional bar mitzvah (coming-of-age ceremony) at the age of thirteen. 

To this day, I am grateful they made that choice because the preparation gave me a much stronger education in Jewish life and faith than most of my friends. As a Jewish believer in Jesus, having this background has been a great blessing throughout my decades of walking with the Lord. 

Before accepting Jesus as my Messiah, I was growing more and more secular every day as my peers had tremendous influence over me! I do not remember ever thinking seriously about the Jewish belief in resurrection—aside from a vague understanding that, when the Messiah comes, He would raise the dead. 

My two best friends had come to faith in Jesus and challenged me to believe as well. I began reading the Hebrew Scriptures, but only to challenge their new-found faith. I considered belief in Jesus to be quite unkosher, but I found that “my Bible” spoke to my heart, so I asked God to show me the truth. Most importantly, I asked God, “How do I get to You? Show me the way.” 

That evening, the Lord gave me exactly what I needed. By God’s grace, I found a New Testament in the most extraordinary way—in a phone booth in the middle of the redwood forest in Northern California, where I was working as a camp counselor for an outdoor education program. I read through the Gospels and discovered a Jewish Jesus who fulfilled the Old Testament Messianic prophecies and hope of the Jewish people—and a big part of that involved His resurrection. I believed the gospel—that Jesus died for my sins and rose from the dead, conquering death. 

Further, since Jesus rose, I will, one day, rise as well! It is a glorious hope, and if we need anything today in this world, it is hope. My hope is built upon His rising from the dead, and it endures the most difficult circumstances. I cannot wait to see Him face to face! 

As Paul so eloquently wrote in his introduction to his epistle to the Romans: 

Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning His Son, who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh, who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 1:1–4, emphasis added) 

I fervently pray that my Jewish family and community will recognize that resurrection is a very Jewish belief, and it should not be strange for a Jewish person to believe the Messiah would rise from the dead. 

There is a group of Jewish people called the Lubavitch Hasidim who believe their rebbe, who died decades ago, will, one day, rise from the grave. They even base this view on Isaiah 53! Though I know this is a minority position, it still gives me hope that my Jewish people can be persuaded of the magnificent truth of the resurrection.

RESURRECTION IN SCRIPTURE

Let us briefly walk through Scripture, and maybe you will have the opportunity to share these passages with a Jewish friend during this wonderful resurrection season. 

First, we learn from the apostle Paul’s chapter on the resurrection, 1 Corinthians 15, that Jesus’ resurrection was predicted in the Hebrew Scriptures: 

Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures. (1 Corinthians 15:1–4, emphasis added) 

We might ask where the resurrection of the Messiah was predicted in the Hebrew Scriptures, as Paul proclaims. We can turn to one of the most well-known prophecies about the Messiah in Isaiah 53: 

By oppression and judgment He was taken away; and as for His generation, who considered that He was cut off out of the land of the living for the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due? His grave was assigned with wicked men, yet He was with a rich man in His death, because He had done no violence, nor was there any deceit in His mouth. (Isaiah 53:8–9, emphasis added) 

This passage is important, as the Servant of the Lord must have died to rise, of course! Isaiah’s words in the final verse of this chapter speak clearly of the Messiah’s death for our sins: “Because He poured out Himself to death, and was numbered with the transgressors; yet He Himself bore the sin of many, and interceded for the transgressors” (Isaiah 53:12). 

Old Testament prophecy predicted Messiah’s suffering and death for the sins of the Jewish people and the nations, as well as His resurrection. Isaiah wrote: 

But the Lord was pleased to crush Him, putting Him to grief; if He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, and the good pleasure of the Lord will prosper in His hand. (Isaiah 53:10) 

We also see the hope of the resurrection predicted in the Psalms, where King David spoke prophetically. In Psalm 16, David referred to the afterlife: 

For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol; nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay. You will make known to me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; in Your right hand there are pleasures forever. (Psalm 16:10–11) 

This passage refers to someone greater than King David. The Jewish apostle Peter confirmed that David was speaking about the risen Messiah: 

Brethren, I may confidently say to you regarding the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. And so, because he was a prophet and knew that God had sworn to him with an oath to seat one of his descendants on his throne, he looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, that He was neither abandoned to Hades, nor did His flesh suffer decay. (Acts 2:29–31, emphasis added)

Immediately after quoting from Psalm 16, Peter proclaimed the promise of the resurrection once again through the mouth of King David by quoting another of his psalms, “The Lord says to my Lord: ‘Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet’” (Psalm 110:1). 

The Lord of King David is, of course, Jesus—the Messiah and the greater Son of David! 

There is another prophecy of Messiah’s resurrection that is more of a prophetic picture of a future event than an explicit prophecy. In the Passover story, the smeared blood of the perfect lamb during the first Passover in Egypt points to a greater “Lamb of God” and a more powerful redemption from the bondage of sin: “ For Christ our Passover [lamb] also has been sacrificed” (1 Corinthians 5:7). 

Paul also envisioned a prophetic picture of Messiah’s resurrection embedded in the Festival of First Fruits. 

Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, “When you enter the land which I am going to give to you and reap its harvest, then you shall bring in the sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest. He shall wave the sheaf before the Lord for you to be accepted; on the day after the sabbath the priest shall wave it.” (Leviticus 23:10–11) 

Paul linked the waving of the sheaf of grain (the first fruit) from this festival mentioned in Leviticus, which takes place on the day after the Sabbath—Sunday. Therefore, this picture of the Festival of First Fruits alludes to the Passion, when Jesus died as the Lamb of God and rose as the first fruits of the coming resurrection. He was the first to rise, and all those who accept Him as their Savior will follow. 

Paul, a well-trained first-century Pharisee, understood these parallels and pointed them out under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, especially to his Jewish readers. 

But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming. (1 Corinthians 15:20–23, emphasis added) 

If Jesus died on a Friday and rose on a Sunday, then the resurrection may well have happened on the Festival of First Fruits. 

With so much written in the Hebrew Scriptures, the Jewish people should have been expecting the atoning death and resurrection of the Messiah. We have the joy of reminding our Jewish friends and family of the Jewishness of the resurrection and that Jesus perfectly fulfills these predictions. 

May the Lord fill you with His power and hope, and please pray for the Jewish people during this Passover and Easter season. The Jewish people desperately need hope in this post-October 7 environment. 

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January 15, 2025 · 9:00 AM

Israel and Jewish Evangelism Today

Happy New Year! I hope and pray 2025 will be a fruitful year as you and I serve the Lord. 

There is a wonderful story about the relationship between John Wilkinson, a Gentile missionary who founded the Mildmay Mission to the Jews, and J. Hudson Taylor, founder of the China Inland Mission (now OMF International). Every January, Taylor would send Wilkinson a gift with a note attached, “To the Jew first.” Wilkinson would then send the same amount back as a gift to Taylor for his work among the Chinese with a note that read, “And also to the Gentiles.” This true story nicely captures what we will learn in this letter: how we can prioritize reaching Jewish people and still reach the world as commanded by our Messiah prior to His ascension.

There is no doubt that Jewish people need to consciously accept Jesus to obtain salvation and have access to God the Father (John 14:6; Acts 4:12). This saving faith grows out of a Spirit-enlightened understanding of the gospel brought about by embracing Yeshua (Jesus) as the Messiah (John 3:16–17, 16:8).

It is also clear God made promises to the nation of Israel. While these promises do not guarantee the salvation of every Jewish person, they do assure us that the people of Israel will play an important role in the final chapter of the drama of redemption outlined in the Scriptures.

Believing what the Bible tells us about Israel’s guaranteed role in the future should not dampen our enthusiasm to proclaim the gospel among Jewish people today. Our hearts should be inspired to fervently proclaim the gospel to Jewish people, knowing the time is near and that the salvation of the Jewish remnant is linked to the second coming of the Messiah Jesus.

An End-Times Motivation for Jewish Evangelism

Until recent days, a key factor in motivating many Christians to reach Jewish people with the gospel was the belief that the salvation of the Jewish remnant was connected to the coming of the Lord. The wide acceptance of this end-times inspiration for Jewish missions was also broadly understood among churches throughout the world.

Today, Jewish people and Jewish evangelism have somewhat fallen out of favor among Christians as Israel and Jewish people are not as noticeably needy of redemption. Many Western Christians have sided politically with Palestinians, viewing Israel and Jewish people more negatively, and have directed their “mission impulse” toward social justice issues and evangelizing Arabs, particularly Muslims. I applaud proclaiming the gospel among all people groups. However, many Christians passionate about evangelizing Muslims have embraced a one-sided view of Israel that conflicts with the facts of what is happening in the Middle East and with the Bible itself.

This shift in sympathies is now commonplace in the United Kingdom, northern and central Europe, and it is rising in North America, too. Those who do not take the biblical prophecies about the land of Israel in a literal sense are fueling these shifting sympathies, leading to a declining interest in Jewish evangelism.

This is why understanding the end-times rationale for Jewish missions and the role of Jewish people in the plan of God is critical. It is my hope that Gentile Christians will be moved by the Scriptures to bring the good news to God’s chosen people.

“To the Jew First” (Romans 1:16)

There are several critical passages which should undergird an end-times motivation for Jewish missions. One of the most important is Romans 1:16: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”

Those engaged in Jewish evangelism are familiar with this passage and understand its importance in motivating the church toward Jewish evangelism. This brief verse has been interpreted in a number of different ways, but more often than not, it is used to emphasize the importance of Gentile Christians reaching Jewish people with the gospel.

I would suggest that one of the reasons the apostle Paul believed the gospel should go to Jewish people first was because of his understanding of the events of the last days. When Romans 1:16 is viewed in this way, the urgency of Jewish evangelism becomes evident. One cannot fully understand Romans 1:16 without understanding Paul’s conclusion in Romans 11, where he speaks about the end-times repentance of the remnant of Israel and their reception of Jesus as Savior. If we look closely, the priority described in Romans 1:16 is founded on Romans 11:25–27 (and more fully on 11:11–29) and must be viewed in light of the role Jewish people play in the second coming of Christ.

Paul is not suggesting that the Roman believers withhold the gospel from the Gentiles until every Jewish person in the world is reached. Neither is the apostle implying that the gospel has already come to Jewish people first and that this priority no longer applies to the mission of the church today. Romans 1:16 was written in the present tense. Therefore, if the gospel is still “the power of God for salvation” and is still for “everyone who believes,” then the gospel is still “to the Jew first.”

Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, focused his ministry on reaching non-Jewish people with the gospel message. Yet, this did not lessen his concern for the salvation of Jewish people. Wherever Paul went in his ministry among the Gentiles, he also preached the gospel to Jewish people living in that area (Acts 13:13–52, 14:1–5, 18:7–11, 19:8–10). He would make sure this was his first evangelistic effort in a particular city before he spoke to the Gentiles. The salvation of Jewish people was an ever-present concern for Paul, and his actions described in the book of Acts reveal his understanding of what he penned in Romans 1:16.

The apostle’s argument may be summarized (and connected with Jesus’ words in Matthew 23:39) as follows: When Jewish people are successfully evangelized, then Jesus the Messiah will return. There was an end-times urgency in the tone of Paul’s preaching and in his letter to the Roman believers, encouraging them to prioritize outreach to Jewish people. His theology was enacted in his own strategy for mission. And this is why we should follow suit. In effect, Paul argued that if the church desired to witness the second coming of Christ, Jewish people must be evangelized.

The church cannot neglect Jewish evangelism: Jewish evangelism should not become the great omission of the Great Commission, and the church must make Jewish evangelism a priority because of Romans 1:16. 

“All Israel Will Be Saved” (Romans 11) 

Paul connected the priority of reaching Jewish people with the end times, and he argued that God has not cast off His people Israel despite their national rejection of Jesus the Messiah (Romans 11). His concluding statement proving God is not finished with Israel is that “all Israel will be saved” (Rom 11:25–27). Furthermore, he wrote:

Now if their transgression is riches for the world and their failure is riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fulfillment be! For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? (Rom 11:12, 15).

God has not rejected Jewish people (Rom 11:1) but rather has preserved a remnant within the nation (Rom 11:5) until the remnant becomes the nation. In this passage, the apostle tells us that in the end, God will save “all Israel,” which I believe refers to the entirety of the nation of Israel alive at that time.

This monumental end-times event takes place after the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. It is evident from this passage that prior to the salvation of national Israel and the end of days there is a time when God will be at work among the Gentiles in a special way—grafting numerous “wild branches” into the olive tree as described in Romans 11:16–24.

In summary, Jewish people will return to the God of our fathers by accepting the Messiah. The nations will then witness the return of the Lord Jesus. God has not rejected His people because He is always faithful to His promises (Rom 11:29).

Reaching Jewish people with the gospel must become a priority for all Christians as, ultimately, the salvation of Jewish people ushers in Jesus’ second coming and releases the fullness of God’s blessings to the whole world. 

Outreach to Jewish people begins with you! Through your prayers, giving, and witnessing to your Jewish friends, the plan of God will go forth in power! We cannot allow Jewish evangelism to become the great omission of the Great Commission.

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