THRILL-SEEKING ISRAELI CONSIDERS
THE “THRILL” OF JESUS
Over the new year, Chosen People Ministries hosted our very first “Outreach Brazil” where we reached out to Israelis through Sabbath dinners, Hanukkah events, and spending time together in the hostel and on the beaches. The outreach team was an amazing group of young adults using their winter break from university to share their faith with traveling Israelis and others. Brazil has the ninth largest Jewish population in the world with approximately 30,000 Jewish people living in Rio. Staff member Robin writes, “I was amazed at how often I met local Brazilian Jewish people just in the market or on the beach. There are also so many visiting Israeli travelers that tours of Rio’s famous sights are offered each day in Hebrew.”
The team stayed in Rio until mid-January. Please pray for Sharona,* who Robin met during the outreach. Sharona is an Israeli traveling through Brazil. She lives life seeking adventure at every opportunity. Any new experience she hears about she is game to try, whether it is visiting a remote island, going sky diving, or experiencing a new thrill. Robin and some team members had the opportunity to share their greatest life experience of coming to know God in a personal way. Jesus being such a “new idea,” Sharona’s curiosity led her to ask a lot of questions. Please pray she continues to seek to know if Jesus is the true Messiah and that she finds the greatest experience of all…a life-changing relationship with the God of Israel.
*Names changed
NEW WORK IN CHICAGO
Chosen People Ministries has renewed a partnership with Moody Church to reach the Jewish community on the Near North Side of Chicago. These neighborhoods include Gold Coast, Streeterville, Lincoln Park, and Lakeview and consist of more than 50,000 Jewish people that are still relatively unreached with the gospel message. Starting on Friday, March 6, we will begin a monthly service at Moody Church called “Beth Sar Shalom.” It will be a joint service with the pastoral staff and church that will communicate “the gospel of God, which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning His Son” (Romans 1:1–3). These services are designed to unite Jews and Christians celebrating and giving thanks for their common history and heritage. They also give Christians an opportunity and avenue to invite their Jewish friends to a service with a familiar environment to someone with a Jewish background. These gatherings will hopefully provoke to jealousy those Jewish people who will attend as they see non-Jewish people rejoicing and giving thanks to the God of Israel who has grafted them into the rich root of the olive tree (Romans 11:11).
SOMETIMES JEWISH EVANGELISM…IS AS SIMPLE AS A WALK IN THE PARK
Simon, one of our staff members in the United Kingdom, was not having a good day. His spirits were a bit low, so he went for a quick walk around the small park behind his house. Through the light drizzle, he started to see creation, nothing fancy…just plants…water…sky…dogs… birds… animals…. But the night before, he had been thinking about Genesis 1, and his spirits lifted a little as he engaged with the tranquility of creation.
Soon, he ran into Ray,* a secular Jewish man whom Simon knew well. They walked and talked for a while and then they bumped into Tina,* the park gardener who had recently come to faith and was full of the joy of the Lord! The love of Jesus burst out of Tina as she again spoke to Ray about Jesus, his Jewish Messiah. Seeing this, Simon’s spirits rose a little more! As they parted, Simon promised to send Ray a book called Hitler’s Will, which tells the story of a Jewish man who found written evidence of Hitler’s ambitions and intentions for the Jewish people that were used as evidence at Nuremburg. By the time Simon returned home, he was full of hope and threw himself into his Bible study with joy and energy!
*Names changed
CAMPUS MINISTRY CONTINUES TO THRIVE
The Lord has opened another door through a weekly outreach at Arizona State University (ASU). Cathy, a Chosen People Ministries staff member, was running an “I Found Shalom” table on campus and was engaging students in dialogue. On the first day on campus, Cathy met Stacy,* not yet a believer in Jesus. Stacy participates with Students Supporting Israel at ASU. Cathy’s verbalizing God’s plan for Israel and her knowledge of the Old Testament prompted Stacy to invite Cathy and her team to join Students Supporting Israel at their table on campus. The first day was marked by stimulating dialogue with several students and gathering contact information. That evening, Cathy connected with several venues in search of a room where they might hold Bible studies with those students who expressed interest in understanding the Jewish roots of Christianity. The Bible study has since been launched.
Additionally, the Lord prevented injury to ASU Jewish students amidst a hateful antisemitic protest. Further bonding occurred when Cathy reached out to Stacy concerning her physical well-being and let her know that the congregation prayed for her and the Jewish students. Praise God!
Ask anyone who has a Charitable Gift
Annuity—or CGA—and they will tell you what a financial benefit it is.
If you are 65 years of age or older, you can establish a CGA today at Chosen People Ministries with a minimum gift of $10,000. This will provide you, or you and your spouse, with income for life!
Establishing a Charitable Gift Annuity is one of the most rewarding ways to express your heart’s desire for the cause that you care so deeply about: sharing the Messiah with the Jewish people.
It is simple!
- Contact Chosen People Ministries to speak with a CGA specialist.
- Establish your CGA with a gift of cash, stocks, bonds, or other appreciated assets.
- Realize an immediate tax deduction.
- Receive income for life on a schedule that you set up monthly, quarterly, or annually.
Take a quick look at the chart below with
rates of return published by the American Council of Gift Annuities (ACGA). It shows you the excellent rates of return available, based on your age.
- Age
- 65
- 70
- 75
- 80
- 85
- 90+
- Rate of Return
- 4.7%
- 5.1%
- 5.8%
- 6.9%
- 8.0%
- 9.0%
That My Children May Remember: A Missionary Braves the Holocaust
From A Hospital Bed – A Testimony
Christmas Party for Germany Refugees
Persian Jewish Woman Hears About Peace
Christmas with Israelis in Brazil!
A Final Warning Against Apostasy
Why Was It Important That God Came In The Flesh?
The Incarnation & Virgin Birth: Truth or Heresy
Christmas Through Jewish Eyes: The Promise of a King
2019 December Newsletter – Celebrate Messiah