Is He or Isn’t He?
Susie (not her real name) liked hearing about Jesus . . . but she could not really decide if He were more than just a rabbi from long ago—she was not sure He ever even claimed to be the Messiah. If she tried to talk to her mother about it (Susie lives in Illinois and her mom lives in Florida), she always got an earful of reasons why Jews do not need Jesus!
But then a friend invited Susie to services at our messianic congregation in Chicago, and the lesson that night was taken from John 10. The message showed the moment when Jesus equated Himself with God and made clear that He was the Messiah. His words and actions made it evident His Jewish audience had to make a choice whether to believe in their Messiah or not.
Susie realized she had to make that choice, too! She decided to believe. She spoke to our team members afterward and explained how compelling she had found the service. If only she could make her mother in Florida understand Jesus’ claims, too . . .
Our staff told her they would be in Florida soon and would love to have dinner with her and her mother. They are setting this meeting up, so please join us in praying for Susie’s mother to choose to believe in Jesus, her Messiah, too. Thank you!
Sharing the Message of Messiah at Sabbath Supper
Eden (not her real name) came to the Sabbath celebration at our staff member’s home with no real idea what it would mean for her. She is not really religious, but she holds her Jewish heritage closely and found herself deeply touched by what she experienced that night.
Our missionary walked her guests through the traditional Sabbath elements and prayed the Messianic Sabbath blessings.
Our staff member told us, “Eden listened thoughtfully and asked many questions. How wonderful it was for me and my friends, who are Jewish and Gentile believers in Yeshua, to teach Eden spiritual truths in light of Yeshua as the Jewish Messiah! We challenged her to ask God to show Himself to her. I pray that she will continue seeking and that God would reveal Yeshua to her.”
Please join with us in praying for Eden, and other Jewish people who are discovering the message of Messiah through Sabbath celebrations and our other Chosen People Ministries outreaches. And thank you for being part of these life-changing efforts.
Seniors Experience the Love of Messiah
Christmas is a busy season for many people in the US, including the elderly folks at the senior center in Scottsdale, Arizona. Nevertheless, our workers scheduled a film showing of The Shepherd, a short drama about one of Bethlehem’s shepherds who comes to see the baby Jesus in the manger.
They put up flyers and did their best to publicize the showing, but only one person showed up to watch the film.
“Was this outreach in vain?” asks our staff member. “NO! God gave me the opportunity to verbally share this powerful short film with all those I encountered that day at the senior center. I LOVE that nothing is ever wasted in God’s plan!”
Not only did Estelle (not her real name) enjoy the film, but later, at a regular afternoon Bible study, a new gentleman turned up. Harold (not his real name), a Jewish man, said he had seen the flyer for the film showing and was intrigued. They were able to show the film again.
Our staff member reported, “Jewish and Gentile people gathered. The majority were non-believers. Many tears were shed during the film. A time of questions and answers followed. The impact from the greater number who viewed the film can be summarized by their exclamations of How powerful!”
When a Type of Food is a Ministry
When one of the workers from our hostel for Israeli backpackers in Hong Kong came to Israel, it was only natural for us to organize a reunion with young Israelis who had stayed at the hostel.
We called it the “Simcha Reunion,” and it was held at our Mercaz ministry center. The evening included icebreakers and sharing memories from their past Hong Kong experience, all while enjoying delicious Chinese food.
Most importantly, it allowed those unbelieving Israelis to meet our local staff and begin forming relationships. Please pray for deepened local relationships and further gospel conversations. Praise God for Chosen People Ministries’ hosting network designed to love, serve, and reach Israeli backpackers worldwide!